


A Quest for Dragons

by MimicYoo



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Dragons, Familiars, Fantasy, M/M, Magic, Slow Burn, Were-Creatures, Werewolf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 23,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25494118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MimicYoo/pseuds/MimicYoo
Summary: Yoorin, a young beast tamer, and his bodyguard, Sylvan, embark on an important journey to find the rare and elusive dragon that has been in hiding for quite some time.*Story written between me and my fellow creator, Luna. Credit to her written parts and characters.*
Relationships: Yoorin/Sylvan





	1. A New Beginning

A gentle breeze caressed his golden locks as he tended to the various farm animals, paying close attention for any possible injuries or signs of sickness. Every day the young man made absolutely sure his animals were at their healthiest. It gave him peace of mind to see them all happy and comfortable.

As he gently scratched the head of one of the farm cats, a booming voice called to him from his nearby cottage. He groaned slightly, reluctantly leaving the feline to tend to his more stressful duties; his family.  
“Yoorin.” His father grunted as he approached. “You’ve been summoned to the kingdom castle.” He threw the summons at him and left promptly, not caring if the kingdom wanted him or not. Yoorin still had a look of shock as his father left. He knelt down to pick up the scroll carefully, examining it thoroughly to make sure it wasn’t sent to the wrong person. ‘What in the world would the kingdom want with me?’ He thought as he stood up slowly, still staring at the parchment… Which definitely had his name on it.

Yoorin had always dreamed of being summoned by the kingdom. But as a poor farmer’s boy, never in his did he expect it to happen. His heart raced as he rushed to the barn he was required to sleep in. He quickly packed his bags for a long journey. He saddled up the only horse they owned and attached his various luggage. He had packed mostly food for his horse and to keep himself warm.

He took the horse out of the barn and looked him over carefully. He would never take a tired or injured horse on a journey like this. After a complete examination, he wrote a letter for his family saying goodbye, seeing as they most likely would not want to see him off. He put the letter outside the front door and looked at the house one last time solemnly before taking off.

As Yoorin rode calmly at first, he thought about the letter some more. It seemed urgent for some reason, and it was signed by someone named ‘Mimic.’ He wondered momentarily if it was the same Mimic he had heard tales off. A warrior who cared deeply for animals just like he did. His began to feel more excited at the thought, really hoping he was the same Mimic. He urged his horse to go faster, wanting to know now more than ever.

Once he had arrived at the castle after several hours of riding, he hopped off of his horse, patting it gently on the neck. He carefully tied him up in the castle barn, making sure he had plenty of food and water before nervously making his way towards the castle. He couldn’t help but admire the beautiful architecture and design of the building itself. He took inhaled deeply, inhaling shakily. It was becoming a bit overwhelming… But his excitement never faltered.

Yoorin shyly showed his summons to the guards at the gate, who let him in fairly quickly, rushing him towards where he needed to go. He kept up to the best of his ability, but his legs were significantly shorter than theirs.

The guards brought him to a part of the castle with huge doors, which they opened for him with ease. He thanked them very shyly as he passed. They gave nothing more than a small nod. The situation seemed more and more serious as Yoorin entered a room with several frantic people, one in particular leading them. He was tall, handsome, with soft looking purple hair that was currently incredibly disheveled. His lavender eyes locked onto Yoorin’s bright pink eyes. His heart practically stopped as he ran towards him, grabbing his shoulders very firmly and staring into his eyes intensely.

“You made it.” His voice was deep but had a gentleness to it, as if his words alone could calm any creature. Yoorin just stared at him in shock, he opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Mimic smiled at him calmly.  
“As much as I didn’t want this to be the way for us to meet, it just had to be this way.” He kept an arm around Yoorin as he led him towards the large table with many books. Yoorin couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the sight of them. He didn’t own any books himself, but he snuck off to the library any chance he could get just to teach himself how to read. He was quickly ripped away from them though, as Mimic led him towards the large window at the back of the room. Outside the window was a beautiful landscape full of trees, a large lake in the distance, and even further than that… A mountain.

Yoorin stared in awe, completely star struck by such beautiful scenery. Mimic allowed him to take it in for a moment, realizing that this poor farm boy has probably never seen anything like this before, even though Mimic had the privilege of seeing it daily. He frowned slightly at the thought, but pushed it away to focus on the matter at hand.

“Yoorin, I summoned you here for a reason. I’ve had my people keeping an eye out for someone who cared deeply for animals such as myself. And they found you.” Mimic looked him over as he continued. “I’m sure you’ve heard tales all your life about dragons. That they have been extinct, or that they are so rare that they may not even exist at all.” Mimic’s eyes began to shine with excitement. “But… We found one… Unusual smoke has been coming down from the mountain lately, and a few of my people have spotted scales throughout the land. I brought you here because I want you to go on a journey to study it.”

Yoorin stared at Mimic in complete shock, not really sure at this point if he was dreaming or not. He had never thought in his life that he would get the opportunity to leave his village, let alone go on a journey to study a dragon. His eyes became blurry with tears as they began to stream down his face. Was he worthy? Why him? He was just a poor farm boy. Panic began to well in his chest as he frantically wiped away his tears.

“But… Mimic, sir...” Mimic raised an eyebrow at the ‘sir.’ “A-ah I mean, Mimic… Why me?” He shifted uncomfortably, feeling more anxiety than excitement now.  
“I know potential when I see it. You are much more than just a poor farm boy. You have compassion, kindness… Things this world desperately needs.” Yoorin took in all of his eye contact, seeing wisdom there that nearly brought him to his knees. “If you are to accept, you wouldn’t have to go alone. We will allow someone to go with you. The higher up, Luna, has probably already decided on someone for you. My part was just getting you here.” He winked and gently placed his hand on Yoorin’s head. “I believe in you.”

Yoorin took in every word, knowing by now this was definitely the same Mimic he admired from all the tales he heard. A very small, determined smile crossed his face.  
“I accept.” He looked up at Mimic with so much determination, Mimic had absolutely no doubts about his choice.  
“Good. We have a room ready for you to stay in and a feast is being prepared for your arrival. You will meet Luna and whomever you will be journeying with. I’ll go over what I know about dragons with you later. Thank you for this.” Mimic pulled him into a big hug and Yoorin felt his skin go hot in slight embarrassment. It was a big deal to be hugged and relied on by your hero.

After being shown his very luxurious room, (compared to a barn, anything would be better… But this was incredibly luxurious regardless) Yoorin’s nerves began to calm down a bit as hunger took over. He was being led to the dining hall, where various delicious smells were making themselves known. His little stomach made a mighty growl, causing his guide to look at him in amusement. He blushed hard and cleared his throat nervously, trying to ignore how hungry he actually was.

As they entered the hall, the guide showed him to his seat and left him to be tended to by someone else. Yoorin was practically drooling as people shuffled in with the foods and other, more important looking people were finding their places to sit. His anxiety began to take its hold as he started to freeze up at the sight of Mimic walking in next to a very beautiful white haired woman with knowing crimson eyes. He was shaking slightly as he took a few deep breaths. He truly couldn’t believe any of this was happening right now. Seeing how beautiful and intimidating Luna was, he wondered what kind of person she would choose to journey with him.


	2. His Protector

One after the other, his throwing knives landed directly at the center of each target, dealing death blow after death blow to each imaginary foe. After working at maintaining the skills he has honed and trained over the years, he moved on to the cross bow. A much more fun piece of machinery, he cranked the extremely heavy string into place with a satisfying crunch, aimed, fired, and felt the force and tension in the weapon as well as his own muscles as the mechanism released. With a satisfied grunt (though no onlooker would be able to distinguish this grunt from any other grunt, in reality), he swung it over his back and attached it with a click to the harness-holster type mechanism he had on his back. 

With large strides, his large and well-toned body was reminiscent of the love child between a royally honed sword and a dire grizzly bear. Heads over anyone he had ever met, most believed he had the fabled giant’s blood in his veins, despite them having been believed to be an extinct race by now. He didn’t care what he was, as long as it was alive and deadly. 

Stepping into his personal workshop, he checked his weapons, tuned them, cleaned them, and placed them over various parts of his body for the journey to come. For, that morning he had received a summons from the Wizard Queen, Luna. He was to be an escort to a mountain on a dangerous journey conceived by Master Mimic, who was known to be some sort of mystical Animal Whisperer or something. He didn’t really care, he was just ready to get out of this stagnant town and into nature where the peace and danger danced together like sunlight on the river of dreams. 

Grabbing his belt, he strapped it on, checking the various pouches for his necessary tools, survival gear, and items for weapon/gear maintenance, and was off. 

“Sir, Sylvan! Quee-”  
“Don’t call me Sir. Just Sylvan,” his curt, deep, and gruff voice boomed in a quick and reprimanding tone.  
“Y-yes, s-si...I mean, Sylvan, uh, si-, I mean, Sylvan, right this way, S-Sylvan,” the younger, smaller in comparison (but actually very much quite large,) man greeted him at the gates. He had never before been insecure beside another man before, always having been considered one of the largest in the realm, but beside Sylvan, he began to feel like he was beside his father again as if in childhood.  
Sylvan grunted and followed the suddenly sheepish man, oblivious to his discomfort and inner struggle. There had been more to the greeting, but it now was lost. 

Entering a great hall, Sylvan barreled forward, keeping well ahead of the man, ready to get this fancy business out of the way.   
“The sooner I’m out in the woods, the better,” he grunted to the man without looking at him.  
“Yes, of course,” the man said in a rather dignified tone, having recovered his manhood once again. “Queen Luna will be feeding you then sending you off on your journey.”  
As expected, a grunt was the reply.  
First, came the noise of people talking, then the sound of plates and silverware. Sylvan felt his nerve rankling. He growled slightly, causing the man beside him to go pale before reminding himself this wasn’t a wild animal….right? Clearing his throat, he hurried on ahead of Sylvan, pushing back his worried thoughts, and bowed deeply to Luna, Mimic, and Yoorin. 

“Your Majesty, I present to you the escort you have requested,” keeping his torso very low, he spoke with the utmost respect. With the heavy steps approaching, murmurs rose up in question before everyone noticed Sylvan, and fear started to stir and rise up in the room.   
“You may rise, good sire,” a melodic voice reminiscent of water dancing along pebbles in the autumn-time melted over everyone in the hall, somehow a whisper in the ear and yet penetrating every other sound.   
As the carrier man rose, that sound soothed the hearts of all and soon they were back to focusing on their food and merriment. “Thank you,” she said with a faint dip of the head, dismissing him politely. He blushed and left quickly, feeling brutish, burly, and out of place in her presence. (Suddenly, he was pleased that Sylvan was so much larger, so he wasn’t the only one who had looked like a beast in the room.)

Sylvan reached the Queen and immediately fell to one knee in a deep bow, head bent over. “My Queen,” he said in the most reverent voice he had ever held for another being. Something in her eyes showed him the innocence, passion, kindness, and love of this world, filling him with a hope he had never known could exist and certainly had never felt before on his own. Suddenly, he realized how her power had spread so influentially and positively across the land in such a short time.

A gentle hand on his shoulder brought a single tear to his eye as if something in his heart had been brought out, forgiven, healed, and released. The tear fell away invisible and unnoticed. With a deep, fresh breath, he rose and looked at her, ready to serve.

“You are to be the escort of Yoorin here on his perilous journey to the Crystalline Mountain. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Yoorin or Mimic. Thank you so much for your service, Sylvan,” the words held his heart tenderly and his name was the loving touch of a mother… something he had never experienced prior. Eyebrows slightly furrowed, but feeling better than he ever had, he gave one nod in assent and turned to face his new companion.

Seeing this small, frail boy (even though he wasn’t that small or frail, Sylvan just saw him to be more so than he actually was), he suddenly understood why he was to protect such a minnow. [[Chuck Norris? The Rock? Arnold Schwarzenegger? Puny creatures. On their own, they could only be safe with protection like firearms and weapons.]] Falling to a knee again, he bowed to Yoorin. “I will protect you with my life, and your mission shall be completed.” The conviction in his heart was enough to drive any arrow forward from the most powerful crossbow. 

Rising again, he faced Mimic, gave him a nod of deep respect, and shook his hand without breaking any bones. (He had to focus very hard, for shaking hands without breaking them was a weakness of his.) With a gesture from Luna, he looked at the chair and saw a huge one beside Yoorin, feeling quite pleased at the gesture of forethought and consideration. Sitting, he ate as much as four men could eat, then put some of the jerky into an empty pouch for later. With a slow metabolism, he wouldn’t have to eat much later on in the journey with this kind of meal. Feeling quite pleased with himself and the meal, he sat back and pulled out a flask of whiskey and drank quite a bit. A porter came around and refilled it for him. Giving a glance to Luna and seeing her smile slightly, he knew it was the good stuff and let the runt go about his duty. He took a sip and felt his head do a quick twirl while his taste buds felt lightning.  
“Wow.”

Later that night, after the festivities had come to an end and everyone was in their chambers, Luna appeared to Yoorin in a gentle pulse of light. “Thank you, Yoorin.” She smiled to calm his nerves from her sudden appearance. “You will meet a sister of mine in the woods. You may trust her and anyone she trusts. However, when in doubt, I would warn against trusting anyone else but those in your own party.” Pulling out a small flask with a strap, a wrapped up piece of pressed leaves, and a whistle, she dropped them into a small pouch and handed them to him.   
“These will assist you on your journey. Use them as needed. The flask will heal minor wounds, but only those rare people with the craft of healing can fix major damage. The hardened poultice will give strength when all seems lost. And the whistle will summon my most precious companion to you. Her name is Serenity. May your journey be fruitful and the moon shines in a smile on the next hour of our meeting.”  
With a small kiss on his forehead and the back of his hand, a faint silvery light shone through his skin before disappearing. Though on his hand later, the faintest silver mark could be seen. A crescent moon and a heart. And like the kiss, she was gone … but never completely. 

After a night of rest and another large meal at breakfast, the two were provided horses, which were packed with any further camping, hiking, and survival gear you could think of. The finest, sturdiest, and lightest gear in the land, designed by Engineer Anuka, renowned for her craft. With a quick wave in goodbye, Sylvan was ready to be gone, and after a glance to his companion for the go-ahead, they were at a cantor towards the treeline.


	3. The Familiar

After some small talk with a nearby maid who had taken an interest in him for whatever reason, Yoorin's attention was ripped away and locked onto the large man entering the room. He was shocked at first, having never seen someone so large and intimidating before. His curious pink eyes examined him with prolonged interest, although he was more so admiring without even realizing it. He had a small smile as he watched him kneel before Luna, not realizing yet that this was who was to be his companion.  
At Queen Luna's words, a small gasp escaped his lips and his cheeks went hot as he connected the dots. He cleared his throat awkwardly as Sylvan turned towards him and looked him over. Yoorin felt his throat go dry as he was knelt before. He nearly pulled him up immediately, not that he would have been able to move such a massive person. He looked at Mimic frantically, who gave him a small nod and an encouraging smile. This must be normal for their people. Sylvan's words pierced Yoorin's heart point blank and he felt his legs nearly give at the thought of someone giving their life for him. He furrowed his brow for a moment, looking at Sylvan with concern. 'Your life matters to..' He thought to himself, watching as Sylvan stood up again. Yoorin gave him a genuine, sweet smile and bowed very slightly. "Thank you, Sylvan."  
Yoorin watched Sylvan out of the corner of his eye for the majority of the meal, feeling very distracted by him as his curiosity pricked at him. He wanted to get to know his new companion, but he felt like the setting wasn't quite right. He shrugged it off as he realized they would have the entire journey together. He finally began to eat the copious amounts of food offered to him, getting his fill more than ever before in his life. After a while, he leaned back in his chair and felt sleepy from how much he consumed. He decided to head to his room now that the dinner was ending. He smiled and bowed lowly to Sylvan, wishing him a good night and promising to see him in the morning.  
Just after he had taken a much needed bath and changed into comfortable night clothing that the kingdom had so graciously gifted him, he felt a strange presence in his room. He felt his neck hair stand up as he reached for his dagger that he kept nearby at all times. He lowered it quickly as the sight of Luna, bowing low and apologizing for being so defensive.  
Every word she spoke stayed with him, he listened intently, thankful for her useful gifts and advice. He couldn't find the words to speak in front of her, but his eyes were like the windows into his soul. They showed determination, excitement, fear. He blushed slightly from her kiss on his hand, but bowed low shortly after. When he rose again, she was gone. He felt his breathing calm down after a little bit. He took all of the items she gave him and examined them for a moment before packing them away in the satchel he would be carrying with him constantly. He retired to the bed that was more comfortable than anything he had ever slept in before. It was nice having a bed. He slipped off to sleep easily, a small smile ever present on his face.

Yoorin awoke to a gentle knocking on his chamber door, followed by hurried foot steps and wide, lavender eyes looking him over. Yoorin groggily looked back, still feeling the tiredness of his journey the day before. "Yoorin. It's about time for you to set out. But first!" He sat on Yoorin's bed, several books in his lap. He looked at Yoorin's satchel and frowned. "Hmm.. Is 7 books too much?" He began to chuckle at Yoorin's wide eyes. "I'm kidding. But here is one on dragons. Notes taken by yours truly." He winked as he handed over a battered and slightly burned leather-bound notebook, tied closed with twine. Yoorin gingerly took it, careful not to cause it to fall apart any more than it looked like it would. Mimic raised an eyebrow. "Oh it won't break! Luna put a spell on it so it's practically indestructible. It could make a good shield if need be!" Mimic laughed for a moment and then began to look serious, realizing how much useful that will actually be for him. Mimic coughed and looked down and away. "Anyways, there is one other thing for you to take with. But let's get you saddled up and ready to go." Mimic smiled at Yoorin's eyes shining with excitement. In that moment he knew for sure he chose the right person to pass his torch onto.

Yoorin admired his beautiful horse, Winry, completely decked out in proper royal attire and carrying his luggage as if it weighed nothing. He practically ran up to her, gently petting her caramel neck fur and leaning his forehead against her muzzle. He gave her a tiny kiss and smiled, proud to be journeying with his faithful companion. He looked past her at Sylvan, already ready to go. He noticed he was itching to leave. Yoorin smiled at him and hopped onto Winry, gently talking to her to explain their journey a little bit. He always felt like she understood exactly what he was saying.  
"Yoorin!" Mimic came rushing down the steps nearby and ran until he was directly in front of him. He was gasping for air dramatically, to which Yoorin couldn't help but chuckle. "I wouldn't leave without your okay, you know?" Yoorin smiled slyly, causing Mimic to raise his eyebrows and look at him in shock. "I would have guessed otherwise!" He huffed out. "All right. Give me your hand please." Mimic offered his hand to take his. Yoorin willingly gave it, not expected the piercing of a nail in his wrist. He squeaked and began to pull away, but Mimic held it firmly. Mimic dug his nails into his hand, making it bleed and proceeded to place it over Yoorin's wrist. Yoorin gasped and began to breathe deeply. There was a fire between the two of them as Mimic passed on his gift. He pulled away after several moments, wiping Yoorin's wrist quickly before wrapping his hand with a cloth. Yoorin stared at him in confusion as he felt his body begin to burn. "My gift to you." Mimic paused for a moment, feeling a less intense version of what Yoorin was going through. "It'll make sense soon." He smiled at him, feeling sweat beginning to bead off of himself. "Oh and.." He snapped his fingers, to which a small black feline came running out, hopped onto Winry's hindquarters and then wrapped itself around Yoorin's neck. Yoorin immediately reached out to touch her gently, she hesitated, but placed her head against his hand after a couple sniffs.  
"My gift will help you with her. Her name is Ash. She'll be your first familiar." Mimic smiled proudly and practically puffed out his chest. "Don't let her size fool you. She can be a very fierce and dangerous predator. Just speak to her." He winked and turned around. "Good luck out there, Yoorin. Fly me a letter from time to time." He walked away, not turning back as he went back into the kingdom.  
Yoorin felt his blood finally beginning to calm down, but something inside felt different. He had no idea what he was just gifted, but he supposed he would find out eventually. He gently scratched under Ash's chin before leading Winry down the path to continue their journey. He looked at Sylvan, wondering what to talk to him about... If he even wanted to talk. He noticed Sylvan noticing the cat, who noticed him right back. She hopped between their trotting horses and landed on Sylvan's shoulders with ease. It was as if she floated through the air. She nestled into his neck and made herself comfortable there.  
Yoorin smiled, 'Must be because I don't have such broad shoulders,' he thought to himself. 'Yes. That is exactly why.' A mysterious and misty voice responded. Yoorin practically fell off his horse as he looked around, frantically trying to find the source of the voice. 'You must not be very bright. Mimic promised me a smart owner.' The velvety voice crooned. Yoorin's eyes locked onto the black feline staring directly at him. 'There you go, stupid boy.' He heard the humor in her voice. All he could do was stare in shock. Sylvan had noticed his strange behavior at this point. He just blushed and laughed nervously.  
"S-so we're supposed to go to this kingdom first. I suppose they are good friends with Queen Luna's kingdom. They know we're coming and can offer us room and board until we're ready to continue again. All I know is there is a Prince Luca and Princess Lucia there." Yoorin looked over the map intently as Winry trotted carefully, knowing to trot more gently for Yoorin when he was reading. 'I'll sleep with this big, warm fellow when we get there. You seem like a lousy cuddle partner.' The cat spoke to him again. He practically shot her an angry glance this time. 'Or would you prefer to sleep with him and I get his bed?' The voice taunted him now. His face went bright red and his legs tightened around Winry. She quickly responded by running full speed, knowing he wanted to get away from the situation entirely. The wind through his hair was the only thing successfully cooling him off as he heard a distant laughter from Ash.


	4. Onward

Feeling the effects of his enchanted whiskey, Sylvan was merrier than he had ever been and for the first time in his life… he smiled. His head was swimming with safety, comfort, and warmth. As though something were protecting this castle to the extent that his services would hardly be needed as long as he were here.

The truth of the reality was that there were many enchantments and spells Luna had placed on, in, and around the castle and villages under her protection. She had spent the entirety of her youth learning spells, enchantments, and magical effects devoted to the well-being, protection, and betterment of humanity.

He glanced around, watching the people enjoy their time around him and felt like he fit in somehow. A strange and curious feeling… He saw bright pink eyes glancing at him occasionally. Seeing no threat from the source, he nodded at Yoorin once and poured some of his magical drink for him before consuming more of the treats before him.

After a while, the gathering came to a close and everyone was saying their goodnights. Sylvan sat awkwardly as Yoorin bowed to him, nodding and grunting as politely as he could. As the young man walked away, his breath returned and he felt himself relax again. He wondered if the blonde was fancy or would be offended by his lack of etiquette, but brushed off the thoughts quickly with one last swig.

As the last of the guests left the room, he stood up and stretched. A guard showed him to his large and accommodating quarters for the night. Fully clothed, he got onto the first bed he’d ever been on and was surprised at the comfort. Mentally going through his inventory, he was distracted for a moment when a gentle hand touched his arm. However, rather than maiming the individual, he relaxed as he felt the purest form of love flow through his body. He had never allowed himself to feel so comfortable and sleepy before in his life. Blinking slowly, he looked to see ruby red eyes smiling at him with unspoken promises of compassion and love. As if having been given permission to sleep restfully, he dipped into an abyss of slumber and got the most satisfying sleep of his life.

‘This castle is more comfortable than being in the womb,’ he thought as he drifted off.

As the sun rose, Sylvan rose. He’d never slept longer in his entire life. Feeling at ease, he sauntered to the stables and took his large black horse to meet the others, ready to be gone. When Yoorin and Mimic had their moment, he noticed the icy white hair and raised his head higher, reaffirming his vows to her through his eyes. Her gratitude flowed through him, mingling with his and shocking him yet again. Glancing back to Yoorin, he spotted a gorgeous creature. Felines had been the only companions he was fond of and it had been a while since he’d seen his precious feline friend. After sustained eye contact for a while, he felt a connection with Ash and she leaped over to his shoulders. Without flinching, he sat up even straighter than he already had been, gratified by her company.

Seeing Yoorin’s strange reaction, he wondered if the guy was okay and shrugged it off, returning his focus to the treeline.

*

The first part of the journey passed with only the sounds of the horses. Sylvan admired the backdrop of trees as they passed them, seeing fine lumber and recalling the smells of each in a fire. Only the slight brush of fur at his neck reminded him that he wasn’t wearing a fur coat. He was glad the cat was “tough enough” (as he put it in his mind) to hold on and maintain contact during the ride.

After hours had passed, he considered the possibility that his companion was not accustomed to riding horseback for hours on end. Remembering his first long journey, he winced internally and pulled the horse off to the side, Yoorin following.

“You look like the type to suffer in silence. How are you faring?” he shouted as he dismounted his horse, leading her farther from the path in order to tie her off on a tree. Sunlight was barely touching the tops of the trees, leaving a golden gleam that rivaled the gold in Yoorin’s locks. The sky was a slash of pinks, oranges, and reds, further giving Sylvan the impression that this was a humanoid sunset or sunrise.

“I have salve for saddle burns in case you need it,” he mumbled, opening a strapped pouch on his horse. “It’s in here. I’ll collect firewood for our fire. It’ll get much colder and the fire should keep away wolves. Not that they’d dare show themselves,” he almost growled the last part.

“We should be relatively close to that kingdom by now, seeing as nightfall is approaching. We can rest or continue, but either way my bladder is full.” Taking a few steps to the tree beside his horse’s tree, he sighed in relief as his bladder released its burden. Horseback riding with a full bladder was a constant annoyance he liked to avoid when he could.


	5. Bonding

As Yoorin hopped off Winry, he gently patted her neck and gave her a couple of carrots as a thank you for all of her hard work. She flicked her ears at him happily as she began to chow down. Yoorin turned towards Sylvan's horse and offered her a few carrots as well, gently patting her neck and speaking softly to her. He watched as Sylvan left to relieve his bladder and laughed just slightly.  
It was true he wasn't used to riding long distances, but he didn't feel the pain set in until recently. He winced as he felt the pain in his thighs and groin. He would definitely be using some of that salve later. But first he wanted to get everybody some fresh water.  
Spotting Ash lounging lazily across Winry now, they made eye contact quickly and she stretched and yawned.

'Too scared to go out on your own, boy?' She sneered, getting heated glare in response.  
'I'm not scared. I just think we should spend more time together and get to know each other.' He responded with confidence, but it was quickly faltering as her yellow eyes narrowed at him.  
'Hmph. Very well. It'll be fun to see how you react to the other creatures anyhow.' She hopped off of Winry and bounded over to him, rubbing up against Yoorin's legs as Sylvan finally came back from relieving himself. Yoorin's cheeks flushed, thinking he had been caught talking to a cat before he remembered that they were communicating telepathically.

"Ah! Hello! I... Uhm..." Yoorin heard Ash laughing at his fumbling. He cleared his throat after a long pause to gain him composure. "I gave your horse a couple carrots. I'm going to go find some water while you find firewood." He smiled at Sylvan before turning and scooping up Ash as if she was a handbag, causing her to hiss and spit... Which Yoorin ignored as his face was bright red as his mind tortured him with a continuous replay of his nervousness.  
'What, have you never spoken to another human before?' Ash had squirmed her way out of his arms (leaving a couple scratches in her wake) and was now walking quickly beside him.  
'Of course I've spoken to another human before!' He responded after he had calmed down his nerves enough.  
'Then why do you fumble like an idiot in front of him? Sure he's pretty but if you keep freezing up, you're only going to ruin your chances at getting into his bed.' Ash ran right into Yoorin's legs as he stopped suddenly. 'Oh? Is that not your goal?' Ash rubbed her nose with her paw, glaring up at Yoorin, who was still standing still.  
Yoorin whipped around suddenly, face entirely beet red, picked Ash up again and pulled her up towards his face.  
'Please. Stop. Mentioning. My. Attraction. To. Sylvan.' He was breathing hard and his expression was more panicked than ever before. Ash pushed her paws up against his face, slowing unsheathing her claws.  
'Put me down and never pick me up again. Then we have a deal.' She glared as she bared her teeth at him. Yoorin responded by dropping her quickly and turning around again.  
"I heard a stream nearby... Let's go.." He mumbled aloud, walking away quickly in hopes of leaving the entire situation behind in the process.

Ash watched as Yoorin filled up several containers for water, not looking at her at all anymore. She thought about it more... About why this strange, obnoxiously nervous blonde man was so nervous around Sylvan. She remembered Mimic mentioning that Yoorin was a farm boy. He had no friends and suffered abuse from his father. He was severely neglected and lived in the barn with the animals he cared for. But Mimic spoke so fondly of him, as if he was the brother he always wanted. He mentioned his love, care, and intelligence about animals. His determination to keep living his best life considering the hand he had been dealt. Perhaps he had never felt attraction towards anyone before... Much less another man. Ash watched Yoorin more closely now, seeing scars littered across his arms and bruises scattered here and there.  
'I'm sorry.' Ash walked slowly behind Yoorin, wanting to give him the space he needed to process everything he was currently dealing with.  
Yoorin nodded once, but Ash was positive she saw a small smile on his face.

As they got back to the camp, Ash was happy to see Sylvan had made a beautiful fire for them to all get cozy around. She trotted up to Sylvan happily and curled around his legs, purring and mewing up at him. Although she was much more than a simple feline, something about this human brought out her pet-like attitude.

"I wish she was that nice to me." Yoorin's rare and genuine laugh made itself known as he handed Sylvan a container of fresh water. "I suppose we should stay the night here and head to the kingdom tomorrow. I'll write to Mimic so he doesn't worry."  
Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out paper, quill, and ink. He wrote down an update carefully, signed it, and froze.  
"Oh we didn't... Get a bird to send letters, did we?" Yoorin looked up at Sylvan curiously before a large hawk swooped down and landed on his shoulder. Yoorin froze and inhaled sharply. He turned his head slowly to see a beautiful red-tailed hawk piercing him with his gaze.  
'I'll take your letter, human. Mimic assigned me to you.' The hawk held out his leg to grab the parchment, which Yoorin slowly handed to him, trying to wrap his head around the talking bird and the rest of the situation. The bird nipped his ear very gently before taking off again. Yoorin could see Ash nearby, rolling around on the ground as she laughed harder than ever before. This was all going to take some getting used to.


	6. Socializing

Keeping his eyes and ears on high alert, Sylvan scanned the landscape for any potential threats, noting various animals nearby. His highly acute senses gave him an animalistic awareness of his surroundings, unbeknownst to him. He just thought everyone else was weirdly oblivious while he was normal.

Fastening his leather trousers, he made his way back to camp, where he could hear Yoorin “fumbling” around from a mile away at least. With a small sigh, he entered into Yoorin’s sight. Seeing the fear and nervousness in his eyes, which Sylvan didn’t understand, he was relieved to be the one to help this fragile creature on his intellectual journey.

‘He would probably have been tracked and robbed by bandits by now,’ he thought grumpily, hating the hardness of the world he lived in. Sylvan stood there unphased by the pause in Yoorin’s speech, used to people fearing him to the point of wetting themselves before even hearing his voice. He half expected the guy to stop talking to him altogether and try to be casual, but Yoorin started talking about feeding the horses. Somewhat impressed, Sylvan gave one nod and went to gather firewood, keeping his acute senses in tune with Yoorin’s location no matter where he went. He could tune into one person at a time and be aware of their surroundings as if they were his own, but, again, he thought this was just normal.

He didn’t look back but experienced the situation with Ash clearly and wasn’t sure what their relationship was like, uncertain if he was misinterpreting the dynamic. They were kind of fumbling over each other when Sylvan realized he’d been long separated from society for so long he had no idea what kind of interaction this boy and his cat were having, trying to fit it into his own slowly developed understanding of societal and social rules. Giving up entirely, he just focused on the movements around Yoorin’s body in case of foreign intrusions.  
After ripping off many branches that had rotted for whatever reason, Sylvan had way too much firewood for one night. Unconcerned, he brought it all to the campsite anyways and started up a fire just before the sun set over the horizon.

Sitting comfortably on the hard ground, his senses were wide open and aware, ready for any threats. The gleaming golden sky overwhelmed his heart as he watched pink and purple clouds dance across its vivid surface. He was basically bathing in his sensor experiences right now. Taking a draw of whiskey, he sighed in comfort and basically ignored the two as they approached, seeing no reason to engage with friendly party members.

Animals tended to feel comfortable in his presence, unlike humans, so he had always taken a companion-like stance with them. He felt more at home in the forest than in a village, town, city, kingdom, or anything. That was for certain. Yet, a cat was something he hadn’t seen in a while. His last cat companion had been lost to him in a battle, scarring his heart forever. He glanced at her, he felt a warmth in his heart that he reactively pushed away without even realizing it.

Yet, she persisted. And her persistance won his heart despite his resistance. When he lifted his hand slightly, she was upon his palm, her soft fur trailing across his hand as she encouraged him to pet her. Instinctively, his giant hand very gently stroked Ash without a second thought. Yoorin’s comment and laugh brought Sylvan’s attention to the feline, who thought she was just a sweetheart. He suddenly remembered her spitting and hissing at Yoorin and mentally shrugged, not willing to try figuring that mess out.

Accepting the water, he chugged a bunch of it down, hoping he wouldn’t have to do that again any time soon. Wiping his mouth off, he grimaced at the bland, tasteless fluid and pulled out his whiskey to wash at out. “Thanks,” he said, knowing he had to drink water every now and again. He set the container down and resumed petting Ash, who was purring happily beside him.  
At Yoorin’s words, Sylvan heard a bird of prey approaching from far off. But seeing as Yoorin wanted a bird right now, Sylvan saw no need to kill it for getting too close. He did, however, watch it carefully as it approached, surprised at Yoorin’s horror when it landed.

Unsure, he wondered if the animal was a threat or not, seeing as Yoorin looked exceptionally confused. But they had an exchange and the letter was taken for delivery, so Sylvan just marked it in his head as more confusing human-animal interactions.

The cat was behaving strangely like a human, too. Laughing? Sylvan looked to Yoorin, thinking him the source of these strange animal behaviors, and wondered if he was some sort of magical folk.

‘It would make sense… You don’t need much constitution to be in the magicks… Maybe he isn’t clumsy or loud, he just has no reason to be concerned since he’s so powerful… Either way. I’m here to protect him, so that’s what I’ll do. I don’t need him using up all his powers on useless bandits…’ Grunting to himself, he took a sip of his whiskey before putting it away.

By this time, the sun had set entirely, which naturally meant an increase in Sylvan’s senses. Feeling no hunger for himself, and being somewhat worried about the constitution of this blonde fellow, he reached into a pouch at his belt and offered some jerky for Yoorin to sate his appetite.

Offering some to Ash, he said in a low voice, “I know you can catch your own, but this is my personal recipe and I thought you might like some… And, it’s buffalo, which might be a bit bothersome or hard for you to catch, but I wouldn’t put it past you.”

~

After the sun had been down for a few hours, they were relying entirely on firelight, which wasn’t a problem at all given the sheer quantity of firewood that had been collected. Sylvan was enjoying the company of Ash as a warm and purring ball of softness, and Yoorin had fussed about with some book someone had given him for a while before putting it away with a satisfied look on his face. By this point, Sylvan was pleased to have observed many dangerous animals veering away from their site entirely by a long radius at the awareness of his intimidating presence alone. His task was proving easier than he had expected. In fact… it was proving to be easier than he had subconsciously hoped it would. His right hand clenched slightly, imagining the feel of a weapon in it.

Although he was grateful for the respect his strength granted him, he also ached for a fight now and again. Though, he wasn’t really sure why… (Just a lot of repressed and unacknowledged emotions to be expressed.) So, always having fights avoid him was a frustrating blessing.  
As he was recalling and reminiscing on his top 15 fights, he realized Yoorin was glancing at him curiously. Not fearfully… curiously. Sylvan cleared his throat, pushing down his confusion and slight self consciousness.

“What do you do?” he asked, trying to open up conversation for one of the first times since he was a child. Pulling out his whiskey, he took a long draw, hoping for a boost in charisma in social interactions.


	7. The Invite

After gnawing on the savory jerky Sylvan had graciously gifted him, Yoorin removed Mimic's important notes from his satchel along with a flask of a much gentler alcoholic beverage than Sylvan had. He took a couple swigs as he read through the notes, completely oblivious to the world around him as he took in every detail he possibly could.  
After a bit, he found the words to be a bit harder to read. Blaming the lack of sufficient light, he put the book away carefully and looked over towards Sylvan. His eyes wandered over his features a little longer than he intended until their eyes met and Yoorin's face became a very slight shade of pink.

At his question, Yoorin's eyes widened just slightly. He hadn't expected any conversation from his very silent companion. He smiled just slightly before realizing he had absolutely no idea what he was asking. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips parted just slightly as his mind went down every possible route that Sylvan could have meant by asking 'what do you do?'

Deciding that he had been asking about his life on the farm, Yoorin shuffled just slightly where he sat.

"Ah. I lived on a farm before this. I took care of all of the animals." Yoorin smiled fondly at the thought of all his favorite pets. "I hope they're all doing well." His expression darkened just slightly, enough for an observant person to catch. "I know the barn cats will be okay. They're the toughest." He chuckled softly as he pulled his flask to his lips again and took a sip. A few moments of silence passed as Yoorin felt his heart trying to close itself off desperately, but his eyes traveled up to Sylvan's seemingly blank expression and he felt as if the door to his heart was ripped open as he stared into his beautiful emerald eyes.

"I don't know why I was picked for this journey." He choked out, his expression becoming bitter and confused. "I'm just some farm boy from a poor family. My father's a little too fond of the drink, my mother is dead. My brother disappeared when I was younger." Yoorin tucked his flask into his lap and began to wring his hands, his anxiety picking up.

"My first familiar doesn't even like me." Yoorin ignored Ash's curious gaze coming from Sylvan's lap as he stared at the fire.

"I was given important powers that I don't even deserve." He swallowed hard as he felt his throat convulsing as he fought back tears. "What if I just screw everything up? What if I'm just a huge disappointment for Mimic? For you?" He looked up at Sylvan as he said this, no longer able to hold back his tears as their eyes met. "I could never ask you to die for me. This journey is supposed to be long and dangerous. What if something happens to you because of me? You matter too." Yoorin ran his hand through his hair and looked down again, trying to calm his tears. After several moments, he managed to calm down. Feeling tired from the alcohol and tears, he leaned back and let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I've never had a friend before. I'm probably doing this wrong." As he closed his eyes to relax, he felt his body slipping into much needed rest finally. "Thank you for listening.." He mumbled as sleep overtook him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the sun rose and the birds began to chirp, Yoorin breathed in the fresh morning air as he shifted around. As he opened his eyes, he was momentarily shocked to see himself in a forest before remembering that he had agreed to this journey. His eyes felt puffy and crusty as he wiped at them, trying to rid himself of his sleepiness. He looked down to see a blanket placed over him and Ash curled up in his lap. His eyebrows raised as he reached down and gently scratched her ears. She stirred and looked at him for a couple moments before hopping off of him and grooming herself on top of a nearby stump.

'What? No snarky comments today?' Yoorin carefully folded the blanket and began to put it away.  
'No. Stomach ache.' Ash lied as she licked at her paw slowly, avoiding any and all of Yoorin's concerned gaze.  
'Do you need medicine? I can go find some herbs.' He leaned down towards her and she finally looked up at him.  
'Your hair is a mess. Ugly boy.' She turned and trotted off into the forest to do her morning business, laughing just slightly as she heard Yoorin frantically fixing his hair.

After packing up heir belongings and making sure the horses were fed, Yoorin turned towards the always prepared Sylvan and gave him a small smile.  
"The kingdom is just a little further according to the map. I'm curious to see what it's like." Yoorin mumbled just slightly, his words carrying off as he began to imagine a beautiful castle with luxurious gates.

As if his words summoned it, a large bird of prey swooped down and dropped two letters into Yoorin's hands. It landed on Sylvan's shoulder this time, finding the amount of room more desirable and easier for preening.

Yoorin opened the one from Mimic first, his heart racing just slightly just to be in contact with his hero.

Yoorin,

I forgot to mention that I put a bit of something extra into your flask. Luna said it would help you open up a bit more. I hope you're doing well. As for your questions about Sylvan in your last letter, just talk to him! He's not nearly as scary as he looks. Well... If he's on your side that is. Anyways! Keep me updated. Stay safe. May the gods be with you all the way.

Master Mimic

Yoorin blushed as he had forgotten about asking about Sylvan at all. He coughed just slightly, pretending to clear his throat as he gently slipped the note into his satchel. He quickly opened the second letter, wanting to quickly forget about that embarrassment.

Dear Yoorin,

My kingdom is looking forward to having you and your companion in our castle. You may stay as long as you please. I just ask that you are very careful in the forest outside our grounds. There are a couple dangerous creatures out there. Especially around the upcoming full moon. I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,  
Prince Luca

Yoorin smiled as he handed it to Sylvan, letting him read it if he wished. "It should only take us a couple more hours to get there, so we might as well get going." Yoorin hopped on Winry, scratching her ears gently as she flicked her tail happily. He was pulled out of his moment with Winry as Ash hopped up onto his shoulders and curled around his neck. He breathed in sharply as he expected either claws or a sharp retort... But nothing came. Yoorin gently rubbed under her chin before leading Winry back towards the correct path towards the kingdom.

The couple hours ride went by fast enough and the kingdom came into sight. Yoorin found it beautiful, but it paled in comparison to Luna's castle. As they trotted up the winding path towards the castle, Yoorin was surprised to see the royals were waiting for him at the gate. He carefully hopped off of Winry and walked towards them slowly, fighting his nerves as he approached.

Two pink haired individuals, both accompanied by very interesting looking guards were standing side by side. The male with pink hair was very handsome and formal looking. His attire was certainly that of royalty, making Yoorin feel a little self conscious in his tunic. The female with pink hair was very attractive as well, although her expression was a little colder and closed off. Yoorin avoided her intense gaze and focused on the much friendlier looking man.  
"Welcome, Yoorin!" He held out his hand and shook Yoorin's hand firmly. "It's a pleasure to have you. I am Prince Luca of the Kaear Kingdom. This is my sister, Lucia. And our guards, Rosco and Kai." Luca watched as Yoorin took in all of the new people and his environment, finding his curious expression incredibly cute.  
"If you'll follow me please." Prince Luca turned and went through the gates, showing Yoorin the different parts of the kingdom and places he's welcome to visit if he pleased.

Yoorin found it very difficult to focus on Prince Luca's tour as he was being stared at constantly by the two guards. The large, spiky haired guard with scars littered all over his body, who's largeness rivaled Sylvan's, kept staring him down; possibly trying to get a read on his character.  
And then there was the white haired guard, who was honestly stunningly handsome... Who kept prodding at Yoorin's satchel and looked at Ash as if he'd never seen a cat before. Princess Lucia would reign him in as much as she could, but it would appear Kai had a mind of his own.

"That's the majority of the kingdom. You're absolutely welcome to explore anywhere else you please. We are hosting a ball in your honor tonight as celebration for your continued and safe journey. We have luxurious clothing for the both of you to wear as well, if you please." Prince Luca gave them one last beaming smile before saying his goodbye and heading off to continue the preparations for the event, followd by his very battle scarred guard.

"If you need anything, please let me know. Kai, let go of the cat and let's be off." Princess Lucia turned to leave, not checking to see if Kai would even follow.  
"Aw.." Kai looked at Ash sadly, scratching her ears before taking off after Lucia. Ash looked like she was about to kill anyone within a mile, Yoorin couldn't help but laugh at her fur plastered in many different directions.

"I guess a ball sounds fun. Although I'm sure I don't deserve something so extravagant." Yoorin mumbled aloud, used to being alone and not realizing Sylvan could very much hear him.


	8. Reassurance

Attentively paying attention to Yoorin’s words and mannerisms, nothing passed Sylvan’s notice. The alcohol only made him able to focus more, though it didn’t improve his already subpar ability to read what behaviors actually mean in social situations. 

Nodding in approval at the mention of caring for animals, Sylvan continued listening closely. Noticing some odd behaviors, he shifted slightly, deciding that Yoorin was bothered by something but he didn’t know what. He silently nodded in agreement at the comment about cats being sturdy and self reliant. Not wanting to disturb Yoorin or cause him further upset, he just stared silently, waiting for more information and hoping he would explain some of his seemingly sad behaviors and expressions. 

Surprisingly, this seemed to be the right thing to do because Yoorin looked up to meet eyes and started opening up. Hoping to not screw this interaction up, he put on the most sympathetic look he could muster. It looked like a blank stare, but it was better than his usual glaring and intimidating look. 

Mentally noting everything he said, a deep feeling of sympathy started to build in Sylvan’s chest. He normally only felt this way for animals, so it was a new experience for him to grasp. Glancing at Ash briefly, he didn’t really understand, but remembered when she was hissing and spitting at Yoorin. They seemed better now though, so he figured she’d warm up to him.

Before he knew it, Yoorin was choked up and had tears in his eyes. Sylvan’s emerald eyes widened in alarm but he didn’t move, not wanting to scare him off or overwhelm him even more. 

Inwardly snorting at the fear of Sylvan getting hurt, he made a note to show Yoorin how strong he was so he could check that off his “worry list”. Continuing to just listen, he made a mental note to try and tell Yoorin what he felt about those questions… when Yoorin was sober again. 

As Yoorin drifted off, Sylvan mulled over the concerns and fears and thoughts he had shared. 

‘Matter?’ he thought, playing with the idea of mattering, never having considered that before. He just did the best he could each day and never thought about whether it “mattered” or not. ‘Friend?’ he thought with some flattery and even more shock. ‘Hm.’ Playing with this idea, he realized he’d never had a human friend before. Or any friend of the humanoid races, for that matter. Nodding slowly, he decided he liked this concept and felt good about it. 

Scraping his mind for any thoughts on what a friend is supposed to be like, he decided he would just do his best and hope it worked out. Noting the time and glancing at Ash, he put a hand to her fur and closed his eyes, “sleeping” but fully aware of his surroundings for a wide radius. When the temperature dropped later in the night, Sylvan shifted out from under Ash, donating his warm spot to her comfort. Making his way to the horses, he pulled out a blanket and draped it over Yoorin for warmth. Deciding to get some exercise in while they slept, he headed out not too far from the camp. 

Sensing Yoorin’s consciousness awaken, Sylvan silently moved back to the camp and immediately buried the fire to ensure there would be no forest fires on his account. Yoorin walked up to him and smiled. A curious concept in Sylvan’s opinion, but he wasn’t complaining. The lack of fear was refreshing. 

Starting to get used to these random animals coming up nonchalantly, Sylvan took the bird like nothing, his broad shoulders unaffected by the deep talons. He glanced slightly at the bird to acknowledge its presence, deciding he liked this bonus to hanging out with Yoorin. He was always a friend of nature and her children, but this was way cooler than coaxing animals over. They just came up like they’ve known them forever… 

“Inside?” he asked, puzzled. He wasn’t exactly fit for the fancy life.  
‘Huh,’ he thought, finding it interesting that they didn’t mind his presence in the castle. ‘Maybe Queen Luna warned them.’ 

Seeing Ash making nice with Yoorin, Sylvan nodded slightly in approval and they headed out to the castle. Sylvan, feeling fully recharged and refreshed after his night of training, tried not to ride the horses too quickly. As the castle came into view, he compared the view to the view of a distant mountain and found them both aesthetically appealing. But he’d rather climb a mountain any day than climb and navigate through the social niceties of civilized and “fancy living.” He was grateful that Yoorin was the representative of this quest. 

Sylvan followed Yoorin silently, keeping an eye on the sketchy guards who kept staring at Yoorin. But he sensed a kindred spirit with the big boy, so he wasn’t hostile. He sensed something more than human, just like himself. Maybe they’d meet in the night one day and share a run.   
The white haired one didn’t seem threatening in personality, but Sylvan sensed a hidden power. Therefore, he never let his guard down. This guy had been through enough, he didn’t need any more trouble. Also, it was Sylvan’s job to escort him. So he had plenty of incentive to keep him safe. 

Sylvan noticed Ash and offered her a piece of fish jerky for her struggle. 

“You have a hard and important quest. A ball is the least they could do. If a dragon attacked the city for whatever reason, it would mean massive casualties. And these fancy people probably have balls randomly, so they may as well have one for a decent reason every once in a while.” Shrugging slightly, he glanced at Yoorin to see his reaction, hoping he would get some confidence soon so he would laugh or smile again… and so they could eat something.


	9. The Ball

Yoorin looked back at Sylvan in shock, not realizing he had even spoken aloud and also he was 100% sure those were the most words Sylvan had spoken to him thus far. His eyes searched his expression curiously, seeing the usual blankness, but noticing something a little deeper behind those emerald eyes. Yoorin smiled up at him kindly, a light blush grazing his cheeks.  
"Thank you for your kind words. I'll try to be less negative." He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away from him, looking down at Ash, who was casually grooming herself back to a normal state.  
'Smile like that more often and I'm positive you'll make Sylvan notice you more.' She flicked her tail at him as his face went a deeper red.  
"A-anyways! We should go get ready, I suppose." He turned around quickly and walked quickly in the wrong direction, quickly turning around once he noticed, ignoring Sylvan watching him and trotting after him and calling him unkind names.

Yoorin entered a room assigned to him after a bit of walking. The halls in this castle were quite long and confusing, but some kind guards led him in the right direction once they noticed his lost expression. As he entered what appeared to be a fancy dressing room, several fairies popped up out of different places, flying towards him excitedly. Yoorin took a step back, feeling the door against his back as he thought about running away. He had never seen a fairy before, and he had no idea if they were kind. Ash was arching her back and growling right next to him, waiting for his word of command if she needed him.

One of the fairies in the front of the large group stopped short of Yoorin's face, her little wings fluttering quickly and causing a small burst of wind to cool his face. She smiled at him kindly and his muscles relaxed just slightly.  
"Sir Yoorin! Welcome to the castle. Prince Luca has told us to dress you for the ball tonight in your honor. We are excited and pleased to have this honor, if you accept." Her eyes were shining and her hands were pressed together excitedly.

"O-oh. Uhm. Yes, of course. Thank you... And just Yoorin is okay, no need for the Sir." Yoorin smiled sheepishly at her and she fluttered her wings a little faster.  
"Oooh. Prince Luca was quite right about you!" She skirted around his head, examining him from every angle. Yoorin looked at her with confusion.  
"And what does that mean..?" He squeaked out nervously, worried he had made a bad impression.  
"That you're exceptionally attractive!" Yoorin's entire face went beet red and he hid his face behind his hands.  
"Mmmm....Thank you..." He mumbled behind his hands for a few moments as his blush calmed down.  
"Now come, Yoorin! Let us dress you up so you can feel as confident as you deserve to feel!" All of the fairies fluttered their wings excitedly and whipped around the room, grabbing different fabrics and sewing tools. "We will be making you your very own custom outfit. Queen Luna let us know a little bit of your history and we wanted to gift you with something than many people don't own. Fairy made outfits are extremely rare! Thank you for making this journey,this is the least we can do."

Yoorin stayed as still as possible and moved only when the fairies asked him to. After about an hour or so of hard work from the fairies, Yoorin was fully decked out in the most princely looking outfit he had ever seen before. The outfit was primarily white with pink accents without, complimenting his eyes well. The faeries had also gifted him with nice dress boots that fit comfortably and styled his hair properly so he didn't look like he woke up in a barn. He tilted his head curiously as he looked in the mirror, shocked to find himself realizing he looked quite nice.  
"Wow.." He whispered as he leaned in, making sure this wasn't some magic mirror showing him what he wanted to see. He raised his eyebrows and turned around to see all the fairies waiting excitedly for his opinion.  
"This is absolutely amazing. Thank you." He bowed low and came back up, smiling kindly. All of the fairies blushed (even the boys). Their leader smiled and fanned herself casually.

'You look great, if I'm being honest. You should go out there with confidence tonight. Don't let your nerves get the best of you.' Ash was looking up at him as she walked around him in circles, examining every angle.  
'Wow. Thank you Ash.' Yoorin smiled down at her and offered her an ear scratch, which she accepted, leaning in slightly, before trotting to the door.  
'Let's get to it. I want to see what they did for the big guy.' Her tail was curled excitedly, and Yoorin couldn't help but smile at how cute she was being. He opened the door and they made their way to the ballroom, following the smell of luxurious food all the way there.

The ballroom was moore extravagant than anything Yoorin was used to or could ever get used to. The chandelier alone was bigger than his barn back at home. He blinked up at it curiously, getting caught up in how beautiful the gems embedded in it looked. His view was suddenly blocked by Prince Luca, who's pink hair was smoothed back to reveal handsome features Yoorin had not noticed previously.  
"The fairies certainly outdid themselves this time. You look incredible. I hope you find the outfit to your liking." Prince Luca extended a hand, which Yoorin took without even thinking, causing a light blush. Luca smiled at him kindly.  
"Allow me to show you around." He gently led Yoorin towards the band playing various instruments that Yoorin had never even seen before, they shined beautifully under the ballroom lights. Luca proceeded to show him all the different foods, which also consisted of new things Yoorin didn't even know existed. There was a bar nearby which had drinks like firewhiskey and icewine. Magical drinks, Yoorin admired them as he walked by, never seeing them before but hearing of them.  
"Would you like to try one? I warn you though, magical drinks have a kick to them that even I haven't grown accustomed to." He chuckled lightly, causing Yoorin to smile just slightly.  
"Uhm.. Sure.. I suppose so." He followed Luca to the bar and was handed a glass of icewine.  
"Drink slow, unless you want to freeze." Luca winked and smiled playfully.  
Yoorin took a sip and felt a chill he had never felt before, causing him to shiver involuntarily. "Oh!" He exclaimed and Luca just smirked.  
"I personally prefer the firewhiskey, but I figure you'll have the rest of the night to try that." Luca waited until Yoorin had carefully sipped the rest of the icewine and then led him to the dancefloor.

"Is it safe to assume you haven't danced before?" Luca raised one eyebrow curiously as he held out a hand. Yoorin blushed and nodded, not exactly proud of that fact.  
"No worries at all, I think I can help with that fact, if you'll allow me to." Yoorin took his hand nervously and gasped when Luca pulled him closely. "It's okay if you step on my feet some, but the fairies might be a bit bothered if their handmade boots get scuffed up." Luca leaned down and whispered in his ear, causing Yoorin to shiver again, similar to what the icewine did to him. Luca pulled away just slightly and led him into a slow dance, giving tips and tricks along the way.  
"You're doing fantastic!" Luca's smile became contagious and Yoorin couldn't help but grin back, causing Luca to blush just slightly. He pulled Yoorin closer without even realizing it, staring down at him as his heart hammered against his chest. Yoorin's eyebrows furrowed and his feet stopped moving. He carefully pried himself away from Luca and bowed politely.  
"Thank you for the dance." He turned quickly and went straight to the bar, ordering some of that firewhiskey that he had been so curious about. He stared down at the flaming glass as he grounded himself to the moment and calmed his own hammering heart.


	10. The Fairies

A touch of shock and uncertainty at his own boldness in speaking to someone like that touched Sylvan’s brow in the form of a slight wrinkle. Yoorin’s positive response was even more confusing. He noticed the color there on his cheek and had no idea what to feel, but he knew he would help and protect this young man at all costs now even if the quest ended prematurely.

Sylvan immediately dropped all of his thoughts and focused on the here and now, following Yoorin through the ostentatious halls. His room was immediately adjacent to Yoorin’s, which he was glad for. He didn’t have to spread his spatial awareness too far across the castle and exert himself. It was already hard enough in crowds to keep focused on one person, having to stretch his mind that far would be annoying as hell.

Sensing Yoorin’s mild distress, he ignored it, feeling no malicious intent coming from the same room. He sensed the same strange and miniature presence in his room. Not caring because things always feared him and wouldn’t dare bother him, he closed the door behind him and glanced around, seeing a flicker of light move towards him. Instinctively and without a thought, he brought his hand up straight and the flicker of light went out right before a tiny thump his the wall to his left. Seeing the fairy there on the ground, his eyes widened and he noticed four other fairies cowering in the corner of the room. A yellow glitter was pouring out of them and it stunk of pure fear.

Guilt and sympathy were the only thing Sylvan could feel. He approached the downed fairy.

“I didn’t mean to… Instincts… I’m sorry..” he mumbled. The other fairies were still terrified but the fairy dust stopped pouring out of them. He walked to the sink and returned with a tiny damp cloth and placed it over the fallen fairy. Taking out a tiny vial of honey, the other fairies completely forgot their fear and were at his ears like little hummingbirds.

“Wait a second,” he mumbled to them, moving the vial in front of the unconscious fairy as if it were smelling salts. It worked. Now there were five baby hummingbirds drooling and glowing pink with glee.

“Please, sir, please, we are but starving children,” they whimpered. “Truly.” “It’s a fact.”

A tiny smile came to Sylvan’s lips as they silently accepted his apology and forgave him. He made a small pool of honey on the counter, knowing they would clean it entirely, before putting the vial back into an inner pocket. Watching them slurp up the liquid gold like little savages, he looked around the fancy room.

“So, why are you in here anyways?” he grumbled.

“Oh, sir!”  
“Oh, very kind and wonderful sir!”  
“Yes, wonderful!”  
“Bringer of honey!”  
“And quick reflexes….”  
“So kind…”  
“We’re here for you!”  
“To help dress you! Only the finest... “  
“Yes, the finest!!!”  
“For you, sir…”  
Buzzing around him at a safe distance this time, they eyed him carefully like children who had just found the person who would give them candy…

“You all look young… even for fairies,” he mumbled mostly to himself as he looked at the premature fairy features closely.  
The sound of wings humming increased.  
“Am baby!!!”  
“We are the children of the great court fairy!!!!”  
“Such youth….”  
“We need honey to grow strong…”  
“We are here to make you pretty!”  
“Pretty handsome!”  
“Which you already are… but with attire as well!”  
Suddenly, as if remembering their duty and forgetting the honey, (even though they most certainly didn’t forget), they lined up in front of him and hovered.  
“May we?”

Sylvan, unable to say no to such cute innocence, gave one subtle nod and succumbed to his fate of fairy dust in his ears and high pitched voices talking too fast for the human ear but easy to understand for his quality of hearing. It was grating on his senses, but he tolerated it, knowing they couldn’t help their own heritage.

After thirty minutes of dissociating while they fussed about him, collecting his dimensions, he went to the bathroom and came back to see them working on the outfit itself. Grateful for the mannequin being his decoy, he stripped down to his underclothes and weapons (same thing.) Not trusting anyone with his things, he hadn’t brought anything vital (other than weapons.)

Seeing how filthy he was, they screeched, making him weak from the painfully high pitched noise. “RELAX.” His voice boomed, bringing a silence to the room. “.....I’ll go have a bath. Jeesh,” he mumbled, slightly sullen.

Slipping into the scalding hot water, he relaxed for a bit, tuning a bit deeper into his focus on Yoorin’s comfort. He seemed fine.

The fairies came in, making Sylvan very uncomfortable. ‘I guess I get enough alone time,” he thought gloomily to himself. ‘I can handle a few hyperactive fairy babies every now and then.’ Trying to ignore their movements, he noticed them taking his underclothes and paled. Before he could say anything, they started washing them in the sink and he decided not to say anything. Next, they approached him and he gave them a stern look.

“Don’t touch me,” he nearly growled.

“But your hair, sir….”  
“So pretty, yes.”  
“Yes, so pretty.”  
“Can we please wash it for you?”

“...My… hair?”

“Yes, sir.”  
“Oh, yes yes!!”

Grumbling incoherently for a second, he shrugged and the little fairies went at his hair. He felt himself relax slightly, gaining more comfort from the touch than he had anticipated. The fairy dust was putting him in a half-nap state where he felt like he was conscious and dreaming. This, on top of the relaxation in Queen Luna’s castle, made the top two experiences of comfort in his entire life. He decided to just let these fairies do whatever they wanted since they were so sweet.

***

“Here,” he said, handing all five of them the small golden vial of honey. At least three had to hold it at once in order to carry it. They screeched once, then quieted down, remembering his mental distress at such noise in his acutely sensitive ears.

“Thank you sir,” they said in unison, two of them sobbing happily.  
“We will miss you!”

“It’s just Sylvan…” he mumbled. “Thank you guys. What are your names?”

“Pip!”  
“Pippa!”  
“Peppa!”  
“Penny!”  
“Peter!”

“Goodbye, Pip, Pippa, Peppa, Pep...Penny, Pee….Peter…”

They each gave him a kiss on his cheek, making the tips of his ears go pink as he gently swayed his hand in front of him as if shooing them away but not really.

“Goodbye, just Sylvan!!!”

Sighing, he looked in the mirror and scowled at his fancy face and hair and clothes and shoes and smell. He looked dashing. Like he would fit in. Well, not physically… But in clothes and cleanliness. His slightly longer than usual, chocolate brown hair was slicked back and had a hair product other than his natural oils. His emerald green eyes were shining from the relaxation he had got in the last couple of days. His golden skin was glowing from being scrubbed and washed, all of the dirt no longer coating him.

His deep, jewel-toned, forest green royal suit and golden buttons made him look like he had a much higher ranking than he actually did. He liked the boots though. They were a deep black and the material seemed like it could withstand many a terrain. He also didn’t mind the new silk undergarments and pitch black button down dress shirt he had acquired. The best part of his new outfit, by far, was all of the places they had put hidden areas for weapons. Out of generosity, they had even used better material to remake his original outfit that he had worn in. He knew he’d just get it dirty anyways, but at least he wouldn’t have to buy a new one for years. Fairy quality was only beaten by Elven hands. Sometimes dwarves, depending on the item.

Sylvan, tucking his flask into the perfectly sized pocket and feeling satisfied with the fit, strode to the ballroom, keeping an even distance behind Yoorin. Having locked his awareness onto him, he always knew what was happening to him without actually bothering him or interacting with him.

As he entered the ballroom, he was glad for the calming liquor zipping through his veins. The overwhelming sensations caused by such an abundant source of stimuli (noise, smell, color, taste) in the air were almost enough to make him walk right back out the door. Instead, he just focused on his main target, ensuring safety and comfort.

He took a spot along the outskirts of the room and found a nice tall chair and tall table to sit at. The ornate and beautifully crafted furniture looked nearly comical beneath him and seemed it couldn’t possibly carry his weight. But it did.

As he considered another long draw from his flask, a server approached with a fine mead liquor on ice. Although he was not usually fond of the sweet drinks, he took one and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. Although initially coming off as sweet, weak, and light… there was a depth to the liquor that settled deep in his bones and had a lasting effect on him. He grabbed another as the server patiently waited, trading the empty glass for a full one.

“Thanks,” he muttered, drinking the second one more slowly so he could savor it. After the desire to break tables and fancy ornaments subsided, he finally allowed his vision to focus on the details in the room. It was fancy, for sure. It smelled like cleaner and fancy clothes, freshly made. Various races had their scents dancing and mingling here like a big soup, and Sylvan sorted through them to focus on the ones near Yoorin.

Watching the pink haired man interact with Yoorin, Sylvan saw no threat and maintained his relaxed position. He listened to the music with a gentle and silent appreciation, realizing that not all of the rich and civilized life was bad.

Sitting up from his casual pose, his eyebrows furrowed at Yoorin’s apparent fear, seeing no actual threat. He wondered if something had been said, but he was reading the same physiological reactions from Prince Luca and assumed it was some human social ritual he didn’t know about and relaxed again, still suspicious and watching more closely than before.

*

“Wow, you look like you just fought a dragon,” a velvety voice traveled through the air to tickle Yoorin’s ear lightly. A golden-haired, goddess-like woman looked at him through her perfectly shaped and glittering, indigo eyes shrouded by seductively curled eyelashes. Her glistening and charmed dress was the color of blood, and it dripped down her body as if she were a gemstone in the flesh.

Offering him a firewhiskey, as his hand touched the glass, she passed on a spell to calm his nerves and help him feel more confident and relaxed for the next three hours. She also had some insight into his heart as he accepted her offer, but only a slight insight. Which she didn’t need because he was displaying it on his face to her like an open book.

“My name is Galaxy. I’m not the queen, but ask any man in the surrounding area and most of them will call me Queen by default.” Leaning her head slightly to show her flawless neck and giving him a wink, she slightly shifted from one seductive position to another, dripping with magical charm auras of enchantment for anyone who could see that sort of thing.

Using her introduction to give the spell the amount of time it needed to sink into him more deeply, she figured he’d feel open enough to talk to her now and started a conversation. “So, what’s bothering you, son? There’s something about you that reminds me of the son I never had and I’m feeling generous, so let me help you out." Batting her eyelashes innocently, she leaned to him, offering moral support for whatever emotional roller coaster he was now riding.

One might wonder at her motives. It was simple. She was incredibly bored of all the men who simply wanted to leer at her. They were useful regularly, but shuffling through them all to find someone genuinely interesting and caring was an exhausting task.


	11. Confidence

Yoorin felt a chill down his spine at the mention of a dragon. His vivid pink eyes locked onto a stunningly beautiful woman. His breathing felt caught in his throat as he looked at her. He swallowed slightly, feeling his muscles relax slowly. He figured the previous drinks he tried were finally allowing him to relax. He looked at the firewhiskey and smiled, taking a sip while she introduced herself. He blushed at her mention of being a queen. He let out a sigh as he looked from his drink to her, realizing now that she was incredibly beautiful, but he wasn't attracted to her. It confused him, but he shoved the thoughts away and realized he should probably speak now.

"Ah. Uhm. You're very beautiful. I don't mean that in a creepy way." He laughed bitterly for a second, knowing she likely dealt with loads of nasty men. "Let me try that again." He cleared his throat and looked her directly in the eye.

"My name is Yoorin." He kept the eye contact without difficulty and held out a hand to take hers. Once she offered hers in return, he gently kissed the back of her hand and smiled at her. "It's very nice to meet you, Galaxy." He released her hand and shifted his body so he was facing her completely.

"As for what's bothering me.." He eyes shifted past her as he found his words, locking onto Sylvan sitting across the way. He felt his heart flutter at the sight of him all dressed up and looking insanely handsome. He let out a long sigh, forgetting that he was speaking to Galaxy altogether.

His attention was ripped back to her after a few moments and he blushed at her sly smile.

"Ah. Uhm. Wow. I'm sorry. I appreciate you coming over to me but.. I think I've got this." He downed the rest of his firewhiskey, kissed her on the cheek like she was an old friend, and walked over to Sylvan as if he had all the confidence in the world. He felt the whiskey burning in his stomach but warming the rest of his body comfortably. He smiled as he finally got to Sylvan, standing in front of him and offering a hand to him.

"Would you like to dance?" He tilted his head as he asked, unintentionally upping his cute game... Ash snickered nearby, and was promptly ignored. Seeing the apprehension in Sylvan's.. everything.. Yoorin laughed slightly, which rang out like chimes in a gentle breeze. "I'm sorry. You probably hate it here. Follow me?" He gently took Sylvan's hand in his as he took him out of the ballroom, ignoring Prince Luca watching them curiously as they left. Yoorin remembered stairs leading to the top of the castle when Prince Luca was showing them around. He had let go of Sylvan's hand, knowing he would follow him, and not wanting to make him uncomfortable. He said nothing as he led him to the top of the castle, knowing that small talk would likely just make things more awkward and confusing.

Finally they reached the top and Yoorin looked back at Sylvan one last time before stepping out onto the roof. The stars were showing beautifully, the moon almost entirely full. There were no lights or trees to block their view from stargazing.  
Yoorin walked toward the middle of the large, flat, concrete brick landing and turned towards Sylvan.The moonlight complimented his suit well, making him look like he was shining under the light. His hair was flowing gently in the breeze. Up here, you could still hear the gentle tune of music being played in the ballroom below. He extended his hand again as Sylvan approached and smiled up at him.

"Would you please dance with me?" He stared him directly in the eyes, giving him a gentle and encouraging gaze.

~~

The handsome man with blonde hair and icy blue eyes watched carefully from the shadows, never thinking he would see his brother in a place like this. He felt a sadness grip his heart and he frowned, realizing he couldn't approach him and say hello. He nearly barred his teeth, but kept it in as not to give away his identity. He stared at the woman his brother had just interacted with, surprised by his boldness to kiss her cheek. He admired her for several moments after the fact, before his attention was ripped away by his prey.  
"I'm ready to go when you are~" She looked him over hungrily as he stared down at her, absolutely no attraction registering in his heart.  
"Shall we?" He offered his arm and winked at her, taking her out of the castle and into the woods, disappearing altogether.


	12. The Dance

Seeing the conflict swirling like a maelstrom behind those hot pink eyes, Galaxy smiled slightly, knowing his type immediately.

‘Poor guy doesn’t even know himself yet,’ she thought, wondering what sort of life events that could help him realize his deeper identity. She decided to stick around and wait it out. He seemed to have the courage to be honest with himself if given the freedom and enough opportunity.

Seeing her spells sink into his muscles and bones, she tossed in a touch of courage, just to spice things up. Meeting his eyes with the gentlest expression she could muster, she waited to see where he took this encounter as it was now in his hands.

Shrugging a shoulder slightly and gently brushing her hair back as if to say, “why thank you, I know,” but also trying to keep it modest with her goofy smile, she gave him a positive response to his comments in order to keep his confidence soaring. Her grin couldn’t be put away as she saw him struggling with being present with her as well as dealing with what was on his mind.

Since she had seen everything on his face up to this point, and his emotions were almost palpable to her, she casually took a sip of her drink to give him some privacy and to take some pressure off of him in his distracted state. It lasted longer than her self control and she glanced back at him with a sly smile, unable to contain it any longer.

His response made her feel pretty good about herself even though she felt she hadn’t really done anything. If anything, she’d found a fun friend in this world of chaos. She didn’t even feel like pranking him, so that said a lot.

She glanced at the handsome man Yoorin was approaching and grinned, seeing his animalistic aura and underdeveloped sexual waves. He didn’t even know about his own desires, which meant he wasn’t resistant to any in particular.

Focusing on him intently, Galaxy wove together a complex spell as she pulled up the glass to her lips and appeared to be casually sitting at the bar. She sent the tendrils of the spell to Sylvan, focusing intently. He was aware of her interference, but she showed no hesitation or fear, just a promise of comfort in this crazy social situation. He apparently recognized her and allowed the spell to set into his body, sending a feeling of gratitude along the tendril as it returned to her after administration.

Asking for a juice at the bar to restore some of her energy, she wondered how he had recognized her and assumed he must have been touched by Luna’s magic before. Quickly growing bored of this place, she sat in a more vulnerable position. As expected, a dressed up rogue approached with a sly look on his face. His brown hair and green eyes complimented the emerald suit he had donned. But nothing pretty could cover up the filth in his heart.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said, placing a hand on her thigh.

Looking down at his hand and back up to his face, she smiled innocently. “Oh, hello, sir~” she said, shyly. He sat beside her, taking that as an invitation and tried to hand her a drink.

She sensed a drug in the glass and felt a shiver of excitement shoot up her spine.

“Oh, for me? I don’t know…” she said, filled with glee and playing coy.

“Come on, baby, it’s the best drink in the house and I got it just for you. You know you want it. We can go watch the moonrise on the balcony while we share drinks~” he said almost charmingly, nodding to the bartender, who handed him his own glass as well.

“I guess my night just got so much better, thank you for this beautiful opportunity~” she cooed, sipping the drink as she batted her eyelashes at him over it. His excitement and lust grew, sickening her and fueling her hidden rage that was translating as cute delight. Holding her other hand out to him, she let him lead her to the balcony, strutting seductively along the way and noticing many glances as “civilized” men tried to reel in their more primal desires.

Upon the balcony, she started to miss her footing slightly, but this gentleman was graciously there to help support her steps. Counting the seconds since administration of the drink, she knew the exact symptoms she had to emulate in order to give a convincing act that it was doing her in.

As he politely helped her to a more private area where she could be sick, his hands started to be a bit less polite and her rage grew ever more powerful.

“I don’t usually do freebies, but I’ll make an exception for you,” she said with perfect clarity, confusing him slightly. Glancing at her face, he saw she was of perfect mental state. The malice and disgust on her face was enough to frighten anyone, but paired with the power emanating from her… Now his legs were weak.

Smiling deviantly, she released the spell she had been formulating privately and beneath the detection of a spell checker. First, she probed his mind to find indiscretions. There were plenty. But at least he was an independent worker and wasn’t involved in the slave trade. She was following enough of those to work through their ranks and dissolve them.

“Pedophilic, evil rapist,” she spat, kicking him in the balls and releasing the final wave of her spell. His mind collapsed. Taking a deep breath and smoothing out her dress, she chopped off the fingers he had used to touch her and took the gold from his pockets, as well as a nice flask with firewhiskey inside. Taking a sip, she tucked it away into her purse and kicked him firmly in between his legs. He cried out in pain, but since his mind was collapsed, he didn’t have any mental faculties about him. Reeling her own emotions back in, she walked off, ready to head home and start her bath while this guy wandered about in the haunted forest for the rest of his life. However long that might be.

Uncomfortable, and also filled with discomfort.... in a very uneasy sort of way... Sylvan sat in this fancy place and tried to chill out. However, his chill-out-o-meter was out of juice. Then, as if prompted by Sylvan's need for another draw of whiskey, the cute blonde guy showed up. Sylvan's hand stayed at his hip, stopping mid reach for the spirit... his spirit of patience if you will. 

Dancing... was just about the last thing he wanted to do, unless it were a dance with death or danger. Gritting his teeth out of an effort to be kind, a flood of relief washed over him when Yoorin suggested they dip. He ALMOST felt bad, but sensed that Yoorin also would rather be somewhere else, and was grateful for it. 

Suddenly, something that had never happened once in his life (not even once) occurred... His hand was held. His eyes almost narrowed, but only out of curiosity and uncertainty, before Yoorin was pulling him out of there. Seeing this as completely unnecessary since he could find him in any setting no matter how far whether he wanted him to or not, Sylvan patiently obliged and was happy to have an excuse to escape the niceties of fancy people.

Once on the roof, and no longer holding hands, Sylvan felt his entire body ease up at the sight of the stars and moon. His best friends. A small smile lighted on his lips and was almost as quickly gone. He looked over at Yoorin, glad to be free of the crowd, and suddenly saw how well he cleaned up. Still, too fancy for his tastes, but charming nonetheless. 

At the offer his eyebrow raised and he saw the sincere desire of Yoorin to dance with him like he had danced with the pink candy haired guy. Not wanting to insult him, and feeling an extra boost of MOON POWER, that is... energy from the light of the moon... He felt more generous and comfortable trying something new. 

Accepting the hand, he pulled him a bit in, mimicking the posture and form that Luca had had with him when they were dancing. He'd watched people dance a lot, and had danced on his own, but never with someone before. This, however, wasn't that hard for him considering his great physical control. He led Yoorin gently to the music, tried a spin, passed it successfully, then did the twirl again much more gracefully for the both of them.

"You're pretty good at following. I think..." he said, realizing he had no idea what he was talking about. The movement under the light gave him more confidence and a more personable side of himself surfaced, more readily prepared to engage in open conversation.


	13. A New Party Member

Seeing Sylvan's hesitation in general made Yoorin want to call the whole thing off. As much as he wanted them to be closer (and not just physically ;D), he wasn't going to force it. Just as he was about to set Sylvan free, Yoorin was pulled into him and suddenly dancing. As much magic had been used on him tonight, nothing could stop his face from flushing a deep red.

Ignoring the snickering of the nearby Ash, Yoorin felt himself relaxing as the dance continued, not wanting to appear rigid and unable to dance along with him. Plus this had all been his idea in the first place... He cleared his throat as he was pulled out of his own mind and looked up at Sylvan after a couple of surprisingly successful twirls. He smiled at his comment and raised on eyebrow.  
"Well, you're pretty good at leading. I think..." After a cheeky grin, he stepped away from Sylvan and bowed low to show his thanks for the dance. He stood up straight again, took Sylvan's hand, and gently kissed the back of it.

"Thank you for humoring me. It was fun." He casually released his hand and looked up at the moon. "Hmm. We might want to head to bed soon. I don't know about you, but I'd like to get out of here as early as possible." He winked and walked past him towards the staircase. He looked back once more and smiled cutely before rushing down the steps...casually.

'I can hear your heart from here, nerd boy.' Ash scoffed. 'Also not only are your emotions as obvious as a full moon, but they affect me too. I'm not into it.' She grumbled as the little pitter patter of her pawpads echoed throughout the castle hallways.

'Ah.. S-sorry. That was crazy. I'm crazy. I hope he doesn't think I'm a freak.' He let out a sigh that sounded about as shakey as he currently was.

"Hello."

A velvety voice made Yoorin's head shoot up and Ash's eyes roll. Next to the doorway to the room Yoorin had been invited to stay in was Prince Luca himself.

"Oh! Hello!" Yoorin walked towards him, trying to act as casual as possible while his emotions were buzzing all over the place. Luca simply smiled at how obvious he was.

"I'm sorry the party wasn't to your liking." Luca started.

"Oh no, no. The party was great! Really! Thank you!" Yoorin's heart felt like a bird trapped in a cage as he frantically tried to convince Luca otherwise... Luca held up a hand calmly, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"I just came by to tell you to be careful when you leave. We have... Hmm.." Luca paused, contemplating for a couple moments. "Very big wolves nearby." He stared Yoorin directly in the eye. "You'll want to be cautious. I'm not too worried though. Your body guard seems very capable of taking care of you." Luca cleared his throat at Yoorin's light but noticeable blush.  
"Anyways. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you. I hope you have a safe journey. Hopefully you'll find what you're looking for." Luca walked past Yoorin, glancing at him just one last time before leaving

'That guy kinda sucks with his feelings.' Ash flicked her tail towards his direction, blinking up at Yoorin. 'Anyways, Sir Charming, let's go to bed. I'm already sick of this place.' She yawned and pawed at the bedroom door, which made Yoorin smile away all of his nerves.  
"I do wonder what he means by big wolves though..." Yoorin mumbled to himself as he was imagining big, fluffy, farm dogs. He quickly shed his fancy clothing and crawled into bed, drifting off fairly quickly after realizing how exhausted he actually was.

~~

As the sun began to rise, as did Yoorin. He yawned and stretched, scooting Ash away from himself (and being very surprised that she had been cuddling with him and not snuck off to Sylvan in the middle of the night). He prepared himself for the continuation of their journey, sad to be putting away his new, fairy-made clothes but happy to be in something more comfortable again. He scooped Ash up and left the room with his satchel swung around himself. He was happy and not surprised to see Sylvan awake and ready to go already outside of his room.

As they got to the horses, Yoorin was greeted by a very happy Winry. He gave her scratches all over and kissed her muzzle, definitely just as happy to see her.  
"Mornin' Sweetheart." He nuzzled her right back as she flicked her tail happily.

"Ahem." Yoorin flinched and turned towards the sound. He quickly flushed and bowed low, as Princess Lucia herself was seeing them off.  
"That isn't necessary, farm boy." Yoorin nearly flinched at her words, but considered how she had been raised and dismissed it quickly.  
"Two things. I'd like to make this quick as this is far too early and I'm not one for socialization." Her eyes flicked to Sylvan momentarily, either checking him out or wanting him gone.. Yoorin really couldn't tell. But he was happy to see Sylvan stand his ground. She sighed loudly.  
"One." She handed Yoorin a small medal that held the Furukawa family crest. He looked from it to Lucia, not sure what to say or do in her presence. "That's for if you're in a rut with officials and need a cop out. It'll work no matter what. Probably. Maybe. My brother put me up to this." She grumbled the last sentence. "And two." She waved her hand lazily towards the white haired, blue eyed individual next to her. "This is my personal body guard. Well, one of them. He will escort you off of our grounds safely." She looked at Sylvan again. "I know you're more than capable, but consider what could happen to bunnyboy here if you were busy with an enemy and more came around." She shrugged lazily. Yoorin wasn't sure if he was offended or not from the bunnyboy comment. Mostly confused. Ash was absolutely losing it nearby... And Yoorin could swear he heard Winry laughing as well. He blushed a little and cleared his throat.

"Well, t-thank you, Princess." He bowed lower than normal and heard her footsteps leaving. He came back up and nearly fell over once he saw how close the new guy was to him. He heard a growl from either Ash or Sylvan, he wasn't sure. (LMAO i think u would def know but.. u kno.)  
"It's very nice to meet you bunnyboy, I'm Kai!" He smiled happily, taking Yoorin's hand and shaking it fiercely, shocking Yoorin with the amount of strength he had.  
"Ah.. It's..Yoorin.. But nice to meet you." He took his hand away and held it in his own, suddenly feeling very shy and uncomfortable.  
"And it's nice to meet you as well, large man! Master Luca is very jealous of you.. Maybe it's the muscles..." He leaned in and stared at Sylvan's features more closely. "Yeah probably.." He muttered as he stared long enough to make anybody uncomfortable.  
"Shall we head out?" He turned back to Yoorin suddenly, who, for some reason, began to frantically pack the rest of his belongings. He could tell this part of the journey was going to be... exhausting.


	14. Distraction

Smiling slightly at Yoorin’s comment, Sylvan released him and watched him do his fancy bow, hoping he wasn’t expected to return the favor after this dance. Assuming the kiss on the back of his hand was a part of the formal gesture, he didn’t think twice about it.

Following suit, he looked up at the moon as well, though he would be doing that regardless. “I agree,” he said simply to acknowledge his own enjoyment of the activity. Following Yoorin with his eyes, he was reminded that this young man was under his care and protection. He couldn’t get careless with his security.

Though it was an assignment given to him by his queen, he felt somewhat strange about enjoying it so much. And he felt even more strange at the feeling he got in his chest and neck area when Yoorin smiled at him and scurried away. Brushing it away as some sort of odd trick of the moon, he followed behind, catching up quickly with his giant strides.

Sensing the presence of the prince of the castle, Sylvan stayed behind to give them privacy, assuming that he wasn’t needed for whatever was about to happen. He preferred to keep a distance from royalty in case his lack of etiquette pissed them off. And since many people of the royalty he had met lacked compassion, he didn’t want to have any unsavory impulses as a response.

Hearing the prince’s considerate warning, Sylvan was pleased that Prince Luca was aware (a-were, heh) that there were weres in his own court. With a little more respect for him now, Sylvan felt more comfortable resting in his plush room in luxury.

~~~

Unable to wait until dawn, Sylvan changed into his revamped gear and outfit (courtesy of the fairies) and stood by Yoorin’s door as the sun rose. He had rested easy in the castle, sensing no malicious intent near Yoorin’s chambers at any point. (Unless you counted Ash when Yoorin almost rolled over her.)

Ignoring Princess Lucia’s approach, simply because he forgot that it was rude, Sylvan turned to her attention when Yoorin did, mostly out of curiosity. He was slightly fond of her. He liked her honesty and how quick she was to get her point across. Sylvan just stared blankly, read to be on his horse and in nature again.

Glancing at the white haired fellow, he grunted and shrugged, turning back to his saddle and finishing up his checks on it. As she started walking away, he kept an eye on the new guy, wanting to trust him but having learned in his life to do no such thing, even with those considered qualified. As Kai stepped closely to Yoorin, a deep and guttural growl escaped Sylvan’s throat involuntarily. Swallowing carefully, he ignored his protective instinct as much as he could, trying to reason with himself to be calm.

However, the second Kai addressed Sylvan, a deep chuckle erupted from his lips as he realized this guy had no social skills. He assumed his skills lie elsewhere. Somewhere more useful, considering he was their escort. Deciding he liked the weird one, he watched his every move less.

“Let’s go.”

~~~

After an hour of riding, or was it only ten minutes? Sylvan couldn’t be sure. He rethought his fondness of the weird one as he kept on and on with words. They were, however, mostly at Yoorin, so Sylvan had some reprieve. But he sensed that Yoorin was being as patient as he could and might actually explode soon.

“Hey, Kai,” he grunted, distracting him for a second. “What’s your role with the family? What brought you here?” He hoped this line of questioning would get the focus off of Yoorin for a bit.


	15. The Wolf

Yoorin felt himself dissociating several times as they rode through the forest. Kai sure was friendly. And talkative. REALLY talkative. The conversation was simple though. All he had to do was nod and smile while he spoke of, well, everything.

"It's been so long since I was outside of the castle. Rosco and Obi always get to go out but I never do and it's so unfair honestly I really don't understand it. I wish the Princess was less of an introverted individual so that we could go out and do things more often. Not that there's anything wrong with being introverted at all, no, no. I love her all the same. But man it's so BORING in the castle sometimes. I find myself counting the bricks on the wall and organizing the books in the library at least twice a week. It can get a little boring but I do love organizing the library. Do you like books? You seem like you like books. I like them too. Honestly if I had to pick a favorite book it would be...."

Yep. He had enough. Just as he was about to pretend that Winry was suddenly taking off running, Sylvan cut in. Yoorin let out a loud sigh of relief and gave Sylvan a grateful look while he recovered.

"My role in the family? Ah! Why I'm Princess Lucia's personal guard." He puffed out his chest a little bit, clearly very proud of his job. "I was lucky enough to be chosen by her father! You see, Rosco, Obi, and I were all orphans before he took us in. We were heavily trained from the moment we could walk so that we could be absolutely perfect guards for his children. The only one who didn't make the cut was Obi unfortunately, but! Rosco loves him to bits (although he won't readily admit it) and takes care of him. Unfortunately for Obi, that meant being banished from the castle. But, well.." he shrugged, "he just didn't have what it takes. He would be a liability if he stayed." He cleared his throat, not even realizing what he was saying was harsh and uncaring. "Speaking of which, I believe he stays out here in the forest. Rosco visits him regularly and gives him food and other necessities."

Kai's talking managed to dwindle after a while of riding. Yoorin chalked it up to his throat being sore from using his voice so much. The sun was beginning to disappear not only from setting, but also because the forest had been getting thicker the further they went in. Giving Sylvan a look that implied stopping for the night, they slowed their tired horses and looked for a place to camp.

Hopping off of Winry after they found a spot, Yoorin stretched out his strained muscles from all that riding. They had made amazing progress though. They had reached the end of the Furukawa territory. Which meant saying goodbye to Kai in the morning... Yoorin felt a little guilty for being relieved about that fact... But not too guilty.

He pulled out feed bags and filled them with a mixture of energy boosting foods for the horses. He pat them both for equal amounts of time and checked them over for any possible wounds. Content that they were okay, he moved on to taking care of himself. He pulled out a couple dried food items and set them out for the group to indulge in.

"I'm off to find some water. Ash?" She peeked from behind a tree after doing her business and trotted towards him, struggling to keep her tail from standing up straight in happiness from being summoned.  
"Oh! I want to come along." Kai was nearly vibrating excitedly and Yoorin didn't have the heart to deny him.  
"Of course. Come on then." He smiled kindly and gathered a few containers for water, passing a couple to Kai for him carry.  
He gave Sylvan a look that implied wishing him good luck before heading out.

It didn't take long to find a stream, thank goodness. Yoorin began stocking up on water immediately. He was happy to see Kai follow suit. He placed the containers to the side and began to scoop up handfuls of water for himself when he heard a distant whimpering. He immediately thought he was hearing things, but it persisted. He squinted across the way, spotting a clearing nearby. He looked at Kai, who was momentarily distracted about some mushrooms and forcing Ash to look at them as if she needed to know about them, before hopping over the stream and heading towards the sound.

Once there, the whimpering was louder. At the edge of the clearing was a large dog caught in a trap. Yoorin hurried over without really thinking, simply wanting to help the poor dog. As he approached, though, he quickly realized that this was a wolf. He felt his breathing stop as it felt like his heart was caught in his throat. The wolf noticed him quickly and it's head swung towards him. It didn't growl. It didn't snarl. It didn't even bare it's teeth. It simply gave him a look of sheer panic and pain. His desire to help this poor creature set him in motion and he was by it's side quickly, looking at the trap and wound carefully. A bear trap had caught this poor wolf and practically destroyed his leg. Yoorin scooted a little closer and the wolf flinched. He reached out a hand and gently stroked it's side, happy to see his fear ebbing. The wolf looked him directly in the eye once it had calmed down, and Yoorin was shocked to see two different colored eyes. They were so beautiful. Shaking away his surprise, he cleared his throat.

"I'm here to help you, okay? This had got to hurt so much.. I'm so sorry." Yoorin gently touched the wolf's muzzle, to which it leaned into his touch.  
"All right... Here goes nothing..." Carefully prying the bear trap wasn't working. He knew he had to use all of his strength to force it open. He gave the wolf a sympathetic look and it seemed to nod and approval. He took one shaky breath before breaking the wolf free... And causing it to make a noise of pain so loud that it echoed throughout the entire forest before passing out.

~~

Rosco trekked through the forest on his usual path, carrying a large sack of supplies for Obi. He hadn't been able to visit for a while and he felt his nerves going haywire worrying about if Obi was okay. He had warned him not to go out much while he was gone, but knew that Obi would get restless staying put. He picked up his pace as his anxiety rose.

Nearly reaching Obi's cave, Rosco immediately noticed his scent was faint. He let out a snarl as he dropped the sack at the entrance, looking around for any sign of the fool.  
A harsh and pained bark sounded nearby, instantly setting Rosco into motion. He headed straight towards the noise and noted the smell of blood at he approached. He stopped at the edge of the clearing, seeing the young blonde that had just been at the castle hovering over Obi's still body. He took a step closer, becoming visible to the young man.

~~

Yoorin winced at the wolf's pain, sad to see him passed out from so much pain. He began to tear a piece of cloth off of his shirt to wrap around the wolf's leg when he heard a twig snap at the other end of the clearing. He turned towards it hopefully, wanting it to be Kai or Sylvan so they could help lift the wolf to their camp, but his hopes were dashed when he spotted the scar covered guard he had seen at the castle the night prior. He stood up slowly, but knew how this looked. His hands were covered in the wolf's blood. He opened his mouth to speak but was immediately silenced by a guttural snarl that froze him where he stood.

Before him was not just a human. And Yoorin finally understood Prince Luca's warning. The sound of Rosco's bones snapping to adjust to his different form nearly made Yoorin lose his lunch. He watched in horror as he tore at his skin with razor sharp claws. Fur revealed itself as he grew even larger than he already was. Fangs larger than anything Yoorin had ever seen before barred at him as he took a fearful step back, nearly falling over the wolf behind him. He closed his eyes tightly as the werewolf started towards him at a full sprint, hoping his death would be quick.


	16. A Challenge

Listening almost curiously, but not quite, Sylvan was glad for the reduced amount of talking. Noticing one of Yoorin’s signals, which he was starting to pick up on rather quickly, they pulled off and set up for the night.

Hearing he wanted to go off for water, Sylvan felt his nerves rattle slightly. Mistaking his instincts for discomfort about Kai, he told himself to ignore it and trust the guy. After checking his horse’s hooves, he chopped some firewood and prepared for a fire. But the anxiety, a feeling he never had, prodded him uncomfortably.

He wanted to trust that Kai could protect Yoorin from any dangers. It’s not that I don’t trust him, he thought, grimacing with his discomfort. I just don’t trust his attention span …. Finally doing the right thing by trusting his gut, he took off in the direction of Yoorin’s presence, noticing a distressed presence he had hardly noticed and mostly ignored before assuming it was a deer. But this presence was familiar… Only younger. Sylvan could feel his hair standing on the end at the thought of a distressed baby were and his guardian’s response. Whatever was going on, he didn’t want Yoorin nearby to end up as collateral damage if a battle broke out between two weres.

As he got closer, he noticed the rift between Kai and Yoorin’s presence…. Of course. This guy’s a trouble magnet! he felt himself turning from rage but held it together because there still wasn’t proof Yoorin was in danger. Maybe they could just get out of the way before anything happened… Then, there was the yelp. Sylvan felt a powerful presence and threw all caution to the wind.

His rapid pace was inhuman and he hadn’t even turned yet. He saw Kai and Ash look to the sound with surprise, huddled around some plants and suddenly wondering where Yoorin went. At the sight, Sylvan growled as he went by, turning into a half were bear, half were tiger as he leapt the stream and launched his massive and freakish form towards the place between Yoorin and the other zoomyboi.

The two massive bodies collided with snarls of rage and protectiveness. He didn’t have the time or care to wonder about the broken looking dog beside Yoorin, whose hands had blood on them. Not wanting to shred anyone, considering this was a fellow were, Sylvan didn’t go straight for fatal moves and went on a higher percentage of defense than offense in the battle.

Their wrestling, though filled with horrifying sounds and impressive displays of strength, was surprisingly less bloody than one would expect for a battle of claws and fangs. They both had the same look of a guardian protecting someone, though the wolf’s was clearly more desperate and fearful for the one he was protecting, considering all the blood. Sylvan managed a maneuver that enabled him a lucky position to slap the werewolf with the brunt of his giant paw into the head. As the beast was stunned, Sylvan used one great paw to scoop up Yoorin and leap to the side of the clearing opposite of the wolf boy who was bleeding.

This took barely a couple seconds, but the werewolf had shaken away his blurry vision and leapt in the air for a 180 to face them, paws splayed and teeth bared and foaming with his snarls. Sylvan, in a defensive position, stood in front of Yoorin, who couldn’t be seen past his massive body. Sylvan glared directly into the rampaging wolf’s eyes, feeling no fear and allowing him to choose his next action carefully.


	17. Awakening

When Yoorin opened his eyes again, he was shocked to see another large were-creature entering the fray. He squinted his eyes at it for a few moments, as it's presence was very familiar. Shrugging off his curiosity to focus on helping the young wolf, he quickly tore his shirt the rest of the way and wrapped the gushing wound tightly.

He grabbed a couple healing herbs from his pouch and began to make a salve when he was scooped up by the were-creature. He let out an 'oof' as he was moved away, not expecting to suddenly be moved. He felt mildly frustrated because he wanted to help the wolf, but his focus finally snapped and he realized this large creature next to him was Sylvan. He had the same scent to him. Which Yoorin was a little embarrassed to have noticed. He peeked passed the even more massive Sylvan to see the werewolf coming back from his stunning.

Seeing him snarling and looking frantic and ragey pierced Yoorin's soul in a way he hadn't felt before.Something inside him shifted, coursing through his veins and setting his body in motion. He blinked once and his eyes went from their usual vivid pink to a translucent pink. He was speaking in a dialect he had never even heard before while he walked past Sylvan and towards the wolf, who was frozen in place.

At this moment, Kai and Ash had approached from the bushes they were safely staying in (not wanting to step between weres). Ash's fur was sticking up from all angles, her tail puffed out and her ears completely back.  
'Kid you gotta tone it down. Now isn't the time for this.' She ran towards him but froze in her place when he glanced at her. She gulped and stayed completely still. She could hear him mumbling in a language she had heard Mimic use countless times before. She was unsure of how he learned it or even knew it at all. Ash looked over at Sylvan, who looked confused and concerned (to say the least). It appeared he was unable to move as well.

Yoorin felt as if he was outside of his body, watching it move and speak in a voice that didn't even sound like him. He was enjoying the floaty feeling caused by being free from his body far too much to actually focus on the situation at hand.

The other Yoorin finally reached the werewolf and placed a hand on his muzzle, speaking the strange language a little faster now. Rosco simply stared at his strange eyes until his own eyes closed and he drifted off into a strange, unwilling sleep. He stepped away from the werewolf (who was slowly changing back as he slept) and approached the smaller, wounded wolf. He stopped speaking, releasing the spell he had put on all the people (and weredude/bear/tiger) around him. Ash didn't even hesitate to run towards him and place her paws on his leg, staring up at him desperately, trying to see if their Yoorin was anywhere in there. He gently nudged her off and continued to make the salve he was making earlier, imbuing it with magical energy this time. He applied it and checked the wolf over for more wounds. Seeing none, he stood again, looking directly at Sylvan before losing consciousness.


	18. Resolve

Sylvan, waiting for the werewolf’s next move, eyed him closely, feeling the vibrations of the earth and every small creature around that had tried to make as much distance from this group as possible. At Yoorin’s movement, he felt confusion and worry before noticing a magical aura and change in eye color. His entire presence changed, and Sylvan decided to just see what happened and trust his instincts.

He barely noticed the presence of Kai and Ash, all of his attention focused on the new presence and feeling his animalistic blood responding as if to a divine force. A profoundly powerful compulsion to worship, protect, and follow this presence through any tribulation or danger filled his entire being. His comfort snapped for a second as Yoorin’s form got closer to the other werewolf…. Too close. His human side felt deep discomfort and care for the young man, but decided to trust him.

Impressed by the magical sleep spell he had cast on the werewolf, Sylvan approached when he felt Yoorin wouldn’t mind, sensing his presence revert back to its normal state. Ash joined and he saw her concern for the boy, smiling inside slightly knowing that she cared way more than she would ever want to let on. He realized he was the same his smile faded and he grunted slightly. He started to turn back while Yoorin was distracted, summoning his clothes from a magical depository that they would phase into anytime he shifted forms.

He stood closer than necessary to Yoorin as he worked, then matched Yoorin’s eye contact as he stood, catching him easily.

“Alright, enough of this,” he grunted, carrying Yoorin off to the camp. “Kai, I’m sure the wolf and pup are fine on their own but if you know them I guess you can invite them to dinner. Once they realize Yoorin saved the pup’s life.” His eyes were still red from the form transition as he walked past Kai. Glancing at the concerned Ash, he gave a head gesture and she hopped onto his broad shoulders and rested there, her nose close to Yoorin’s face.

Setting Yoorin down on a wool blanket, he made some of the healing tea Queen Luna had given him and set some wild hares to cook at the fire. Enough for a small feast. If no one showed up, he would be more than happy to eat it all on his own. But if they did…. For Yoorin’s sake he would politely share.  
Content that everything was taken care of, he sat cross legged behind Yoorin, unsure how to go about helping him but trying his damned best, and pulled the smaller guy to prop up against his crossed legs. Flipping the wet cloth on his forehead, he moved the golden locks away slightly and looked down at the pale face, hoping to see some sort of response.

“Maybe he’ll sleep for a whole day or something…” he thought out loud, looking at Ash. Trying anyways, he touched the liquid with his finger to find it boiling hot. “Won’t do.” Taking some more on his finger, he poked Yoorin’s lip, then decided that it wouldn't be very effective either. Blowing on the liquid, he hoped it was cool enough (but not too much) and put it to Yoorin’s lips very gently, hoping the warmth and smell of the aromatic tea would wake him up so he could drink it. He feared that if Yoorin didn’t eat for a day he might die or something… he was already pretty small and didn’t need to get any smaller.


	19. Parting Ways

Yoorin awoke to the smell of a very aromatic tea. His vision was blurry at first, immediately making him panic a bit. He blinked rapidly a few times until he saw the massive body of Sylvan looming over him. He cleared his throat awkwardly and leaned up, just ow realizing his head was in his lap. He ignored the way that made him feel and looked around their campsite carefully.

Rosco was cradling the small body of a young man in his arms. Yoorin wondered who it was for a few moments, but remembered the abundance of weres he was in the company of. He was glad to see he hadn't died from his wounds. Yet, at least. He pushed that sad thought away as Ash came bounding towards him with her tail straight in the air. She must have been off gathering twigs for some reason (likely to keep busy and not stress as much) as her mouth was full of a bunch of them. She promptly dropped them and ran directly into Yoorin, nearly knocking him over. He was very surprised by her strength for a few moments. He simply smiled and petted her. He felt extremely exhausted... But he didn't miss the fact that she was currently purring.

Kai approached slowly, looking him over carefully. "You look awful... But better!" He grinned and ruffled Yoorin as if they were old friends. Yoorin glared and shook his hair out afterwards in an attempt to "fix" it.

"Sylvan here has been worried sick. Just watching him was stressing everyone out." He laughed, ignoring Sylvan's obvious avoidant behavior. Yoorin blushed at his words and turned towards Sylvan, surprised to see he wasn't denying it. He awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Thanks for taking care of me." He placed a hand over his gently and smiled. "I really appreciate it." He removed his hands after a couple of moments, not wanting to make him feel awkward. He took the tea that was made for him and sipped it gently, feeling his energy coming back slowly. He finally noticed the abundance of rabbits cooking over the flame and felt his stomach growl. He felt like he could eat a whole family of rabbits (not that he ever would.)

After a very delicious and much needed meal, Yoorin decided to check on the young male from before. Rosco was obviously very protective of him, but he knew Yoorin just wanted to help. He gently placed him down on a blanket and stayed right next to him. He nodded at Yoorin as permission to do a check up. Yoorin smiled at him politely and knelt down next to the young man.

"You must be Obi." Yoorin said softly as he brushed some of his hair away from his face. He stirred slightly which was a good sign. Yoorin gently prodded his wounds, happy to see they had stopped bleeding. After a few moments of looking, Obi's eyes fluttered open and Yoorin's eyebrows raised.

"Hello. How are you feeling?" He smiled kindly and Obi's curious gaze practically melted his heart.

"Mmmf.. Hurts.. But not as much as before." He leaned up, which Yoorin quickly tried to stop, but Obi was significantly stronger than him. "I'm okay. I wanna sit." He grinned at Yoorin. Yoorin shrugged it off, must be a were thing to be stubborn.

"Well I'm glad you're feeling better." He stood up slowly.

"And you are too." Rosco grunted as he settled in next to Obi, carefully looking him over.

"Hm?" Yoorin gave him a puzzled look.

"You're better too. I'm.. Glad..." He looked pained as he said this, obviously trying very hard to be polite. "And uh.. Thanks for helping Obi." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "But we're going to head out now. We've been enough trouble. He ignored Yoorin's protests and scooped Obi up carefully. He looked over at Sylvan and gave him a nod of respect before turning and leaving.

Yoorin watched them leave, almost pouting the whole time. He sighed as he turned back to Sylvan, who seemed relieved to have less people to worry about.

Kai stood up as well, wiping off any dirt and debris from his nice clothing. "I shall go as well. I did my job. You are just a few yards from the end of our territory." He smiled politely. "If you ever need me or any of my masters, send a letter our way." He bowed lowly, hopped onto his horse, and disappeared into the forest.

Yoorin felt a little sad to see them all leave, but having less people in their party meant less people to worry about. He watched Sylvan as he set up things to sleep for the night. He wondered momentarily where he would be if he had ended up with a different journey mate and shuddered at the thought. He would have to do something nice for Sylvan in return. Even if he just considered this his job.

As his mind wandered over the different options, a large bird swooped down and landed in front of him. He was beginning to get used to this, which was nice. He gently took the letter from the birds talons and patted it on the head. He opened the letter, already knowing it was from Mimic.

Yoorin,

We are still connected for the time being. So I'm well aware of what just happened. Please be careful. Your body isn't quite ready for that kind of stress yet. Ash can help you hone your skills. Rely on her. And write me if you ever have any questions.

Master Mimic

As Yoorin finished the letter, his nose suddenly began to bleed. His eyes widened as he caught the blood with his sleeve quickly. He did his best to hide it from Sylvan, but knew he would notice anyways. Ash peeked at the letter and then at him, watching the blood and his reaction to it.

'Mimic did that too. We should be more careful. Command me next time. I'll listen.' She looked him directly in the eye and Yoorin felt her loyalty to him settle itself there. He pet the top of her head, scratching around her ears.

'Sorry I worried you.' Yoorin rubbed under her chin and quickly got swiped by her.

'I was worried I would have to make the journey back to Mimic on my own if you died. Nothing more.' She grumbled and trotted to her little bed Sylvan made up. She curled up and quickly "went to sleep."

Yoorin kept his laughter to himself as he settled into his own bed, happy to see it was closer to Sylvan than usual.

Yoorin awoke the next morning. He didn't even remember falling asleep last night. His body felt achy and tired, but they had wasted enough time in this forest. He did a couple stretches before putting everything away with Sylvan's help.

Afterwards, he pulled out his map and looking it over carefully. It seemed they had two options.

"Hey Sylvan?" He smiled as he came over without question. "There are two routes. There's this cave system that seems to be faster, and there's a mountain passage that appears to be longer, but could be safer. I'm not sure. Which route do you think we should take?" He looked from the map to him, genuinely trusting whatever decision he would make.


	20. The Journey Continues

Sylvan felt a wave of relief when Yoorin regained consciousness. He felt himself finally relax. At Kai’s comment about his concern, he masked his apparent relief and focused on sharpening his knife, pretending not to hear the conversation.

Grunting dismissively, he neither denied nor approved the validity of the comment. Feeling the small hand on his, his ears turned slightly pink and he stopped his sharpening to look at Yoorin.

Before he could fail miserably at crafting an accurate response, Yoorin had moved on. Relieved, he continued to sharpen his blade.

Observing the encounter as it went down, he nodded respectfully back to Rosco. He would willingly fight beside that Were, which was something very rare for him.

Relieved to finally have a smaller party about him again, he put his weapon away and ate a rabbit precisely and quickly. Hearing the bird from a while off, he didn’t even bother to think about it as it approached.

Sylvan saw the blood fall and immediately prepared more tea for Yoorin. Handing it to him, he stayed closer to his person in case he passed out again. He also put his bed right beside him so he could hear his breathing and heartbeat better.

“Hm. The cave sounds like it could be dangerous, but Ash and I can see in the dark. We’d be able to perceive anything anywhere near us. And navigating it would be much easier. Also, the weather would be constant. A mountain pass could have a landslide or get rained on. We can handle either, but Ash would probably prefer a cave, I would guess. Either way works for them though,” he said as he hopped onto his saddle, waiting for Yoorin’s input.


	21. The Plains

After Sylvan’s answer, Yoorin nodded in approval and looked at Ash, who flicked her tail to let him know she heard. He climbed up onto Winry and settled into his saddle.

“Cave it is, then.” He smiled at him cutely as Ash hopped up onto Winry as well, settling in as close to Yoorin as she could get.

They rode the short distance to the exit of the forest, which opened up into a plain surrounded by rocky hills. In the distance, you could see the entrance of the cave they had to get to. Yoorin brought Winry to a trot, trying to keep to same pace as Sylvan. He looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

Memories of the gigantic beast he became flooded his mind and he brought Winry in closer, until he was right next to Sylvan.

“Does it hurt when you shift?” He blushed at his sudden question. “A-ah... I mean… Erm… You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I thought what you did was pretty cool…” He turned his head to hide behind his hair. “What exactly is it that you turn into? I haven’t seen anything like it before.” He ignored his desire to pull out a notebook and take notes on him, as much as he wanted to. He would just have to commit it to memory and write it down later.

“I haven’t seen any Weres, actually. Now that I think about it..” He mumbled slightly. “I’ve seen vampires though.” He stared off into the distance as he waited for Sylvan to respond… Hopefully positively.


End file.
